USD Coin ($USDC ) is a fiat-backed stablecoin designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the #US dollar. Launched in September 2018 by the Centre Consortium (co-founded by Circle and Coinbase, with Circle now the sole issuer), USDC aims to provide a stable and transparent digital dollar for use in the #cryptocurrency #ecosystem .  

Key features include being fully backed by reserves held in regulated US financial institutions, undergoing regular audits for transparency, and being available on multiple blockchains like #Ethereum , #solana , and Avalanche. This makes it widely interoperable within DeFi applications and across different networks. USDC is favored for its regulatory compliance and transparency compared to some other stable coins.