Binance invests $100 million in Circle, expands USDC partnership

Binance invests $100 million in Circle, expands USDC partnership

Tue, September 22, 2026 at 4:24 PM GMT+3 2 min read

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• USDC-USD -0.01%

Circle Internet Group (NYSE:CRCL), the stablecoin issuer, and Binance, the cryptocurrency exchange, announced an expanded strategic partnership on Monday, including a $100 million equity investment by Binance in Circle.

The companies entered into a new five-year commercial agreement to expand access to USDC, Circle's dollar-pegged stablecoin, across emerging markets.

Binance made the investment through a private placement of Circle's Class A common stock at a purchase price reflecting a 5% discount to the market price before closing.

Under the agreement, Binance will promote awareness of and integrate USDC more widely on its platform, while Circle will provide infrastructure services supporting the holding and use of USDC.

Binance agreed not to transfer the shares for up to two years from the closing date, subject to customary exceptions.

Jeremy Allaire, co-founder, chairman and chief executive of Circle, said Binance had built one of the largest platforms in the world for using digital currency and the most widely used wallet for dollar stablecoins.

Allaire said the companies saw opportunities to use USDC to expand dollar access and support savings and investment through digital asset products in emerging markets.

Richard Teng, co-chief executive of Binance, described Circle as one of the most credible issuers globally, citing USDC, Arc and its infrastructure for cross-border payments.

Teng said the investment and five-year commitment represented long-term confidence in Circle.

He added that the partnership was designed to make a stable, trusted digital dollar available to anyone with a phone.

Binance says it serves more than 300 million people in more than 100 countries and describes itself as the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and registered users.

Circle's platform includes USDC, the Circle Payments Network for global money movement, and Arc, an enterprise blockchain designed to become the "Economic OS" for the internet.