$USDC – Quick Overview

What is USDC?

USD Coin (USDC) is a regulated stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar. It's issued by Circle and backed by cash and short-term U.S. government bonds held in U.S.-regulated financial institutions.

Blockchain Support:

USDC operates across multiple blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, Arbitrum, Polygon, Base, Optimism, and more—making it highly accessible in DeFi and CeFi ecosystems.

Use Cases:

Trading and hedging on crypto exchanges

On-chain savings and lending (e.g., Aave, Compound)

Cross-border payments

Payroll and remittances

Real-world asset tokenization

Recent Developments (May 2025):

Circle’s Global Expansion: Circle is pushing USDC adoption in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Mastercard Partnership: Mastercard and MoonPay announced support for stablecoin-powered payments, including USDC, allowing users to spend USDC globally via Mastercard rails.

USDC on New Chains: USDC recently launched natively on zkSync and is expected to roll out support for additional chains in Q3 2025.

Why it Matters:

USDC offers high transparency, monthly audits, and regulatory compliance. It remains one of the most trusted stablecoins, especially for institutions and developers seeking a reliable dollar-pegged asset.