#usdc

Circle, the issuer of the popular USD-backed stablecoin USDC, has announced a strategic partnership with Onafriq, Africa’s largest payments gateway, to pilot stablecoin-based settlements across the continent. This collaboration aims to significantly reduce the high costs and inefficiencies associated with cross-border payments in Africa.

Currently, more than 80% of intra-African transactions rely on correspondent banks located outside the continent, with settlements made in foreign currencies such as the US dollar or euro. This outdated system results in an estimated $5 billion in annual fees, creating a substantial financial burden for

What is USDC?

USDC (USD Coin, if you will) is a product of Circle, a "global financial technology firm." Jargon aside, Circle provides a number of financial services, all of which rely on USDC. Those services include payments, institutional investing, and more. USDC is the basic building block of Circle's suite of products. It's a stablecoin built on the Ethereum blockchain and backed 1:1 with the US dollar - hence the name.

Stablecoins are exactly what they sound like - digital currencies whose prices are stable. Of course, that raises a couple of questions: stable to what, exactly? and of course my favorite, why? ISN'T BTC's PRICE JUMP ENOUGH FOR YOU?!?!?

Ok, sorry, I'll calm down. But I’m not exactly wrong - stablecoins are an attempt to remove some of crypto’s inherent volatility, creating something that’s more stable and therefore a more predictable financial instrument. And what’s one way to create a stable crypto coin? Tie it to a real-world asset that’s also fairly stable. That’s where the USD comes in. USDC is backed by the dollar. One USDC = one USD.

We should note - backing one currency with another is absolutely nothing new. In fact, most fiat currencies started out this way. The gold standard in the American banking system meant that, in theory, every paper dollar circulating in the US was at one point backed by a dollar's worth of gold.