What Is USDC? A Comprehensive Guide to the World’s Second-Largest Regulated Stablecoin

In the world of cryptocurrency, stablecoins serve as a key bridge connecting traditional finance and digital assets, rapidly transforming global payment and financial systems. Among them, USDC (USD Coin), as the second-largest dollar stablecoin by market capitalization, has become a cornerstone of the industry due to its Compliance and transparency. This article will delve into the issuance mechanism, historical trajectory, listing dynamics, and future prospects of USDC.

Issuer Circle: A Compliance-Driven Fintech Pioneer

USDC is issued by the American fintech company Circle, which was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Boston. Circle’s core mission is to “reshape the monetary system of the internet era” through blockchain technology. The USDC it launched is backed by a 1:1 full dollar reserve, ensuring that users can exchange for cash at any time. Compared to competitors like USDT, Circle’s biggest advantage lies in its strict compliance: it holds licenses from multiple jurisdictions including the US FinCEN and EU EMI, and publishes monthly reserve reports audited by third-party institutions such as Deloitte (with cash and short-term US Treasury bonds accounting for over 99%). This transparency makes USDC the preferred choice for institutions and government collaborations; for example, its payment network has been integrated with globally systemic banks like Standard Chartered.

USDC Issuance: From Explosive Growth to Market Leadership

Since its launch in 2018, the circulation of USDC has shown a significant growth trend:

• End of 2021: Circulation reached 42.5 billion USD, accounting for about 35% of the stablecoin market at that time;
• May 2025: Circulation surpassed 61 billion USD, an increase of 40% within a year, setting a historical high;
• Market Share: Although still behind USDT (153.9 billion USD), USDC firmly holds the second position globally with a market share of 19%, with an annual trading volume exceeding 26 trillion USD.

The growth momentum mainly comes from the expansion of Compliance scenarios: such as cross-border payments, enterprise fund management, and DeFi applications. Especially during the Silicon Valley Bank crisis in 2023, USDC temporarily de-pegged to 0.88 USD, but quickly returned to its peg due to its rapid redemption ability, highlighting its resilience to risks.

CRCL Listing: A Capital Feast for the First Stablecoin Stock

On June 5, 2025, Circle debuted on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol CRCL, becoming the world’s first publicly listed stablecoin issuer, sparking market frenzy:

• IPO Performance: The issue price was raised from the initial $24 - $26 to $31, with fundraising expanded to $1.1 billion (34 million shares), and oversub_script_ion reached 25 times;
• First Day Trading: The stock surged 124% at the opening to $69.32, hitting a peak of $103.75 during the day, and closed at $83.23, with a single-day increase of 168%;
• Current Stock Price: As of the end of June, CRCL’s stock price stabilized around $186, with a market capitalization of approximately $41 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 2113, reflecting the market’s extremely high expectations for its growth potential.

This listing is not only a milestone for Circle but also injects a boost into the crypto industry—institutions like ARK Invest and BlackRock are heavily participating, demonstrating mainstream capital’s recognition of the compliance stablecoin model.

Future Outlook: Compliance, Bank Collaboration, and Global Payment Networks

The development of USDC will be deeply tied to three major trends:

1. Regulatory Standardization: The U.S. ‘GENIUS Act’ and the EU ‘MiCA’ framework require stablecoin reserves to be ‘high-quality liquid assets’. The cash + U.S. Treasury bond combination of USDC naturally aligns and will further expand its competitive advantage;
2. Accelerated Bank Integration: Circle President Heath Tarbert clearly views banks as ‘ideal partners’. The Circle Payment Network launched by Circle has connected multiple international banks, supporting real-time exchange between fiat currencies and USDC;
3. Market Size Explosion: Citi predicts that the global stablecoin market value will reach $3 trillion within a few years. Circle plans to use the funds from its listing to expand its technology stack (such as the cross-chain protocol CCTP) and emerging markets, solidifying its positioning as the ‘internet currency layer’.

Conclusion

USDC is not just a stablecoin; it is also an important experiment in the globalization of the digital dollar. With the completion of Circle’s listing and the clarification of regulatory frameworks, USDC is expected to play a significant role in cross-border payments, institutional finance, and Web3 plays a more core role in the economy. Its success confirms a trend: the model that balances Compliance and innovation is the passport for cryptocurrencies to integrate into the mainstream economy.