$USDC

As of Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 8:10 PM CST (Taiwan time, Friday, May 9, 2025), the summary of USDC (USD Coin) is as follows:

**What it is:**

* USDC is a **stablecoin** designed to maintain a 1:1 value with the **US dollar**.

* It is issued in collaboration between **Circle** and Coinbase (through the Centre Consortium).

* Each USDC can be exchanged for one dollar.

* It aims to bridge the gap between traditional fiat currencies and blockchain-based finance, providing stability to the often volatile cryptocurrency market.

**How it works:**

* USDC is backed by dollar-denominated assets held in independent accounts at regulated financial institutions in the United States. These reserves primarily consist of cash and short-term U.S. Treasury bills.

* These reserves are subject to **monthly attestations** by an independent accounting firm to ensure that each USDC is fully backed.

* When users deposit dollars into their Circle accounts, new USDC tokens are **minted**, and when tokens are redeemed for dollars, the tokens are **burned** to maintain the 1:1 peg.

**Safety:**

* Due to its ample reserves and regular audits, USDC is considered a **safe stablecoin**.

* The issuer, Circle, is a **money services business (MSB)** registered with FinCEN and complies with state money transmission laws.

* Circle emphasizes the **transparency** of its reserve holdings and regularly discloses and undergoes independent audits.

* However, like all digital assets, users need to develop good security habits to protect their USDC from theft or unauthorized access (e.g., using strong passwords, 2FA, and secure wallets).