$USDC  Coin (USDC) is a stablecoin issued by Circle, pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar and fully backed by liquid cash and cash-equivalent assets—like short‑term Treasuries—stored with major banks and independently attested monthly . Launched in 2018 via Centre (Circle + Coinbase), it now operates on over 15 blockchains and supports global, instantaneous payments (theblock.co). Circle governs it since 2023 . It’s widely adopted across exchanges, DeFi apps, and payment systems due to its stability, transparency, and regulatory compliance .