#CircleIPO The **Circle IPO** (issuer of **USDC**, the second largest stablecoin in the world) is one of the most anticipated events in crypto and traditional finance. Here is the **key breakdown** of what you need to know:
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### 🚀 **What is Circle?**
- **Founded:** 2013 (Jeremy Allaire and Sean Neville).
- **Main business:** Issuer of **USD Coin (USDC)** (market cap: ~$32B).
- **Other services:** Infrastructure for global payments, treasury management, and blockchain APIs.
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### 📅 **Current Status of the IPO**
- **Feb 2024:** Circle filed **confidentially** for its IPO with the SEC.
- **Platform:** Plans to list on the **New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)** under the symbol **"CRCL"**.
- **Target valuation:** ~**$9 billion** (vs. $4.5B in its last private round in 2022).
- **Estimated date:** **2025** (subject to regulatory approval and market conditions).
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### 🔍 **Why is it IMPORTANT?**
1. **Legitimacy for stablecoins:**
- It would be the **first stablecoin issuer company** to go public.
- Key regulatory response following the collapse of UST and issues with BUSD.
2. **Impact on USDC:**
- Greater transparency (publicly audited reserves).
- Possible growth in adoption vs. USDT (Tether).
3. **Institutional signal:**
- If successful, it could attract more traditional capital to the crypto ecosystem.
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### ⚖️ **Risks and Controversies**
| **Factor** | **Potential Impact** |
|---------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Regulation (SEC)** | Will it approve an IPO from a stablecoin issuer? The SEC classified stablecoins as *securities*. |
| **Competition (USDT)** | Tether dominates the market (~$110B). Can USDC regain ground? |
| **Past events** | In 2023, Circle canceled its SPAC due to market conditions. |
| **USDC reserves**
