$USDC

Circle’s USDC has solidified its position as the #2 stablecoin ($33B market cap) with unmatched transparency—monthly attestations and 100% cash/T-bill backing. Key advantages over rivals:

• "Institutional Trust" – BlackRock & Fidelity use USDC for ETF settlements.

• "Multi-Chain" – Native on 15+ networks (Arbitrum gas fees just $0.03).

• "Regulatory Edge" – NYDFS-approved with Fed master account pending.

Recent upgrades:

- Gasless transfers via Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol.

- Yield-bearing USDC (4.5% APY) for enterprise clients.

Trade pairs like BTC/USDC and ETH/USDC benefit from tighter spreads than USDT on Coinbase. As the "cleanest" stablecoin, USDC is becoming the default dollar for compliant DeFi.