USDC
USD Coin (USDC) is a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar on a 1:1 basis, backed by a reserve of cash and short-term U.S. Treasury bonds. Launched in September 2018 by the Centre consortium, USDC is issued by regulated financial institutions. It aims to be "digital money for the digital age," facilitating cashless transactions. USDC serves various use cases, including a safe haven for crypto traders, enabling businesses to accept digital payments, and impacting sectors like decentralized finance and gaming. The goal is widespread acceptance across wallets, exchanges, and other platforms.
Circle Launches Programmable Wallets for Developers
Circle has launched Programmable Wallets, a service allowing developers to embed crypto wallets in apps. The blockchain-agnostic tool supports Ethereum, Polygon, and Avalanche.
Circle CEO Expects Yuan-Backed Stablecoins Despite China's Crypto Ban
According to SCMP, despite the stringent ban on cryptocurrencies in mainland China, Jeremy Allaire, the co-founder and CEO of Circle, a leading operator of the USDC stablecoin, foresees a significant role for yuan-backed stablecoins in the global crypto market.
Stablecoins Could Bolster U.S. Dollar and Economic Competitiveness: Circle CEO
In a compelling testimony delivered to the House Financial Services Committee, Jeremy Allaire, CEO and Co-Founder of Circle, underlined the significant role stablecoins, such as the U.S. Dollar Coin (USDC), could play in strengthening the global position of the U.S. dollar.
Heath Tarbert Joins Circle as Chief Legal Officer and Head of Corporate Affairs
Circle Internet Financial has appointed Heath Tarbert as its new chief legal officer and head of corporate affairs, effective from July 1, 2023.
Binance.US to Remove Certain Trading Pairs and Pause OTC Trading
Binance.US announced today that it will be making significant changes to its trading structure. The changes, set to take place on June 8, 2023 at 9 a.m. PDT / 12 p.m. EDT, will involve the removal of select Advanced Trading pairs and a pause on their Over-The-Counter (OTC) Trading Portal.
US Crypto Crackdown Hurts USD Coin
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire has blamed the declining market capitalization of USD Coin (USDC) on the cryptocurrency crackdown by US regulators. Allaire cited global concern about the US banking system and regulatory environment as major factors.
Circle Launches Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol for USDC
Circle has released a mainnet protocol allowing users to transfer USDC between Ethereum and Avalanche. The Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) eliminates the need for USDC bridges and aims to reduce fragmentation in the Web3 ecosystem.
US Draft Bill Proposes Framework for Stablecoins
A new draft bill has been published in the United States proposing a regulatory framework for stablecoins. The bill would put the Federal Reserve in charge of non-bank stablecoin issuers, such as Tether and Circle. Insured depository institutions seeking to issue stablecoins would fall under federal banking agency supervision. The bill also includes a ban on issuing stablecoins not backed by tangible assets and proposes a study on "endogenously collateralized stablecoins."
MakerDAO Keeps USDC as Primary Collateral for Dai
MakerDAO has voted to keep USDC as the primary collateral for Dai, rejecting a proposal to diversify into GUSD and USDP. The decision was made based on reduced risks from a cascading bank run in the US and USDC's return to a $1 peg.
Mastercard Enables USDC Spending in Asia
Mastercard has partnered with Stables to allow retail customers in the Asia-Pacific region to spend and save USDC through its network. Meanwhile, worldwide banking turmoil has not slowed the blending of traditional and decentralized finance (DeFi). Global payment provider Mastercard has expanded its partnership with the Australian stablecoin platform, Stables, to enable retail customers in the Asia-Pacific region to spend and save USDC anywhere Mastercard is accepted. The wallet will accept deposits in several stablecoins, including Tether (USDT) and Binance USD (BUSD), with all deposits automatically converted into USDC. This move comes as worldwide banking turmoil and regulatory crackdowns continue to impact the crypto space.
Banking crisis could push cryptocurrency regulation into gray area
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire believes that the ongoing global banking crisis could lead to more uncertainty and gray area in the regulation of cryptocurrencies due to market anxiety over exposure to the US financial system and the risk of a large-scale banking system failure.
USD Coin Chief Strategy Officer Twitter Account Hacked
Circle's USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin chief strategy officer Dante Disparte's Twitter account has been hacked, with the account reportedly promoting fake loyalty rewards to long-time users of USDC.
Former Coinbase CTO Bets $1 Million on Bitcoin Reaching $1 Million in 90 Days
Former Coinbase chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan has placed a bet worth $1 million on Bitcoin's price reaching $1 million by June 17. Srinivasan accepted the wager from pseudonymous Twitter user James Medlock, who bet $1 million that the United States would not experience hyperinflation.
Moody warns of stablecoin adoption risk
Moody's Investors Service has warned that the recent turmoil in the traditional banking sector and USDC losing its peg could negatively impact stablecoin adoption and increase calls for regulation. The credit rating agency believes that fiat-backed stablecoins like USDC could face new resistance, limiting their stability and potentially causing a run on banks holding Circle's assets, which could lead to the depegging of other stablecoins.
Circle's Stablecoin USDC Affected by Collapsed Bank
Circle's USDC stablecoin briefly de-pegged after news that $3.3 billion of its cash reserves were stuck with collapsed bank Silicon Valley Bank. USDC's dollar peg has since recovered, but mass redemptions have led to a drop in the stablecoin's market cap by nearly 10% since March 11.