Circle | Crypto

Stablecoin issuer Circle is facing mounting scrutiny from blockchain researchers after millions of USD Coin (USDC) were stolen and flowed unimpeded through its proprietary bridge during the $285 million exploit of the Solana-based Drift Protocol. The inaction during the April 1 attack, which is now the largest decentralized finance (DeFi) hack of 2026, stands in […] The post Circle under fire as $230M in stolen USDC flows unblocked days after freezing legitimate accounts appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Circle, known for issuing stablecoins including USDC and EURC, is expanding into the Bitcoin space, targeting institutional users. Stablecoin issuer Circle said it plans to launch its own version of a wrapped Bitcoin, which would put it against incumbents Coinbase and BitGo as it targets institutional users.  The asset, called cirBTC and announced on Thursday, is set to launch on Ethereum, backed 1:1 by bitcoin (BTC) and aimed at over-the-counter desks, market makers and lending protocols.  Circle said the asset is designed to provide institutions with a “highly secure and neutral version of wrapped BTC.” Read more

Drift said a durable nonce attack helped drive its Solana exploit, as critics questioned why stolen USDC moved for hours without a freeze. Drift Protocol, a Solana-based decentralized exchange (DEX), confirmed Thursday it was targeted in a roughly $280 million exploit, describing it as a “highly sophisticated operation.” The platform took to X on to share its findings from a preliminary investigation, saying that the attackers exploited Solana’s durable nonces, a mechanism enabling pre-signed transactions, to seize control and drain funds. The protocol had earlier said it was experiencing an active attack and suspended deposits and withdrawals while coordinating with security firms, bridges and exchanges. The attack began on Wednesday, with the theft involving multiple assets, including Circle’s USDC (USDC) and various altcoins. Onchain data later showed that the exploiter swapped the majority of assets into USDC, with the funds later bridged to Ethereum. Read more

Circle, the issuer of USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin, saw its stock plunge 20% this week, erasing $5 billion in market capitalization in its steepest intraday drop since going public. The sell-off happened on the same day Tether announced it had secured a ‘Big Four' accounting firm to undertake a full audit of USDT. According to […] The post A new US rule wiped $5B off Circle — but it may hurt Coinbase more appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Bernstein kept its $190 price target for the Circle stock while Bitwise predicted the company's worth will grow 200% to $75 billion by 2030. Circle Internet Group’s CRCL stock is showing signs of a potential 25% rebound after the market may have reacted too aggressively to fears surrounding draft CLARITY Act language tied to stablecoin yield restrictions. Key takeaways: CRCL is attempting to stabilize above a major support confluence near $100.75. Read more

Tazapay said Circle led a Series B extension that brought total funding to $36 million as the company expands cross-border payment rails. Cross-border payment infrastructure provider Tazapay said it closed an extension to its Series B funding round led by Circle Ventures, bringing the total raised to $36 million. The round included participation from Coinbase Ventures, CMT Digital, Peak XV Partners and Ripple.  Tazapay said on Thursday that the funding will be used to • expand its digital settlement technology for cross-border payments, secure additional licenses, expand across Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Americas, and build infrastructure for so-called “agentic payments.” Tazapay said it serves over 1,000 enterprises and fintechs across 30 countries. It holds licences across Singapore, Canada, Australia, and the United States, with active applications underway in the European Union, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong. Read more

The stablecoin issuer was accused of freezing 16 hot wallets linked to operating businesses, including crypto exchanges and online casinos. Stablecoin issuer Circle, the company behind the USDC (USDC) dollar-pegged token, wrongfully froze 16 wallets in connection with an ongoing civil legal case in the United States, according to onchain investigator and security researcher ZachXBT. The wallets in question belonged to crypto exchanges, online casinos and foreign currency exchange businesses, which “do not appear related at all,” ZachXBT said.  “An analyst with basic tools could have identified, within minutes, that these were operational business wallets from the thousands of transactions they process,” he said Read more

Analysts say new US stablecoin rules may hit yield distribution, not issuers, as USDC growth in payments and trading continues to accelerate. Circle’s shares sell-off on Tuesday may have been overdone as investors failed to see that the stablecoin issuer’s core business model remains unaffected by the proposed CLARITY Act, analysts at Bernstein said on Wednesday. In a note to clients, Bernstein analysts Gautam Chhugani, Mahika Sapra, Sanskar Chindalia and Harsh Misra said markets are conflating “who earns yield” with “who distributes yield.” “Circle earns. Coinbase distributes,” the analysts wrote, noting that the draft legislation primarily targets the distribution of yield to users — not the underlying reserve income earned by issuers like Circle. Read more

The latest draft of the CLARITY Act hit both stocks, but one analyst says the bill could ultimately shift bargaining power toward Circle and away from Coinbase.

The move aims to integrate the second-biggest dollar-pegged stablecoin into regional payment networks to improve cross-border transactions and remittances. Circle is partnering with Sasai Fintech to expand the use of its USDC stablecoin across African payment corridors, targeting remittances, business transactions and mobile wallet services. According to Tuesday’s announcement, collaboration will integrate the second-biggest stablecoin into Sasai’s existing payments infrastructure, which supports cross-border transfers, enterprise payments and consumer wallets, with the aim of reducing costs and settlement times. Sasai operates across multiple African markets, providing digital payments services that will integrate with Circle’s onchain infrastructure. Read more

Ledger names John Andrews as chief financial officer and opens a New York office to expand its US operations and institutional business. Crypto hardware provider Ledger has appointed former Circle executive John Andrews as chief financial officer and opened a New York office as part of its US expansion. Andrews previously led capital markets and investor relations at Circle. According to Friday’s announcement, the New York office is part of a multi-million-dollar investment in Ledger’s US operations and will create dozens of roles across enterprise and marketing teams. It will serve as a hub for the company’s institutional business, including its Ledger Enterprise platform, which provides custody and governance tools for digital assets. The expansion comes as the company says demand is growing from banks, asset managers, custodians and stablecoin issuers seeking secure digital asset infrastructure. Read more

The UK has a unique opportunity to merge the best of the EU’s MiCA framework and the US GENIUS Act, Circle’s Dante Disparte told the House of Lords committee on Wednesday. Circle’s policy chief Dante Disparte told a United Kingdom House of Lords committee that the UK has a chance to build its crypto regime by combining the clarity of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) with elements of the new US stablecoin framework. “The model is clear: take the best of both and make it distinctly British,” Disparte said during a Wednesday meeting of the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee. “From Europe, take clarity, definitions, licensing, governance and strong consumer protection from the US and the landmark Genius Act.” Disparte argued that the absence of a regulatory framework will keep stablecoin activity offshore, leaving UK users more exposed and jeopardizing London’s status as a global hub for financial innovation. The meeting was part of the House of Lords’ inquiry in...

Circle’s USD Coin (USDC) has officially unseated Tether’s USDT in transfer volume for the first time in seven years. The shift marks a defining moment for digital assets, cleanly splitting stablecoin leadership into two distinct categories: total supply and transactional velocity. While Tether remains the undisputed heavyweight in the stablecoin market, USDC has become the […] The post Tether still holds more cash, but Circle’s USDC is now moving more of crypto’s money appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Analysts at the investment company said the change was significant because the stablecoin “winner” will be the one people use for everyday transactions. Japanese investment bank Mizuho reported that stablecoin issuer Circle’s USDC overtook Tether’s USDt in transaction volume for the first time since 2019. In a research note released on Friday, Mizuho said it had raised its price target for Circle stock from $100 to $120 after comparing transaction volumes between the two major stablecoins. According to Mizuho, USDC (USDC) had about $2.2 trillion in adjusted transaction volume for the year to date, compared with USDt (USDT) at $1.3 trillion. “The data shows USDC vs. USDT volumes at 64% market share,” said Mizuho. This is a reversal in a long-term trend of USDT volumes surpassing USDC in 2019-2025.” Read more

The USDC issuer's stock is soaring despite a market selloff as stablecoins expand into traditional finance. Meanwhile, Canaan boosts BTC reserves and Wells Fargo eyes crypto services. A selloff in both Wall Street and crypto markets hasn’t slowed Circle’s relentless rise. The stablecoin issuer’s stock has more than doubled since early February, with Bernstein analysts expecting further gains as stablecoins continue expanding beyond crypto’s more speculative use cases. The technology is already moving deeper into traditional finance. UK insurance giant Aon recently piloted stablecoin payments for insurance premiums with Coinbase and Paxos, a move that could make cross-border premium payments faster and more efficient. Elsewhere, Bitcoin (BTC) miner Canaan is taking a contrarian approach to treasury management, increasing its BTC holdings even as many competitors sell. And in traditional finance, Wells Fargo has filed a trademark for crypto-related services, suggesting large banks are still quietly preparing fo...

Circle’s USYC tokenized U.S. Treasury fund has grown to $2.2 billion, surpassing BlackRock’s BUIDL fund as investors increasingly seek onchain yield and collateral.

William Blair said Circle’s recent rally reflects more than macro factors, pointing to USDC resilience and growing recognition of the firm’s stablecoin infrastructure advantage.

Shares of the stablecoin issuer have seemingly decoupled from the broader crypto market, gaining 49% this year and doubling since early February. Circle Internet Financial is among Wall Street’s best-performing stocks so far in 2026, and analysts at Bernstein believe the rally could continue as stablecoin adoption accelerates. In a recent note to clients, Bernstein reiterated its “Outperform” rating on CRCL stock and set a $190 price target, which typically reflects analysts’ expectations for a stock over the next 12 months. Despite a volatile end to 2025, Circle shares appear to have decoupled from the broader cryptocurrency market, which has been under pressure since October following a major leveraged liquidation event. Read more

Stablecoins are decoupling from crypto market cycles as they are increasingly used for digital payments, Bernstein analysts said, which bodes well for USDC issuer Circle.

Circle generated $2.7 billion in FY25 revenue, posting 64% growth, as USDC adoption expanded globally.