Big plans for USDC: Circle targets 40 new markets

The American crypto company Circle has major expansion plans. The issuer of stablecoin USDC wants to become active in about 40 new markets, especially in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. According to CEO Jeremy Allaire, the demand for digital dollars is growing rapidly. Not only for crypto investors, but also for banks, companies and applications with artificial intelligence (AI).

Circle mainly sees opportunities in countries where international payments are still expensive and complicated. With USDC, the company wants to make transferring money faster and cheaper.

USDC is one of the largest stablecoins in the world. The digital currency is linked to the US dollar and should therefore remain worth about one dollar. Users can send USDC via the blockchain, without any payment having to go through a traditional bank.

Circle invests heavily in order to continue to grow internationally. The company acquired payment service provider Tazapay for $400 million and received a strategic investment of $100 million from crypto exchange Binance.

Meanwhile, the stablecoin USDC is growing strongly. In the second quarter of 2026, the total value of all coins in circulation was approximately $73.3 billion, up 19 percent year-on-year.

This means that Circle holds about a quarter of the global stablecoin market. However, competitor Tether remains by far the biggest player. Its stablecoin USDT represents almost 60 percent of the market.

Circle wants to become more than just a digital dollar issuer. The company also develops payment technology for banks and other financial institutions.

An important part of this is arc, a blockchain network that has been specially developed for financial applications. Large parties such as BlackRock, Visa and Standard Chartered are involved in the project, according to Circle.

US regulations can also support the growth of USDC. The GENIUS Act should provide clear rules for stablecoins pegged to the dollar. The main provisions are expected to apply from January 2027.

According to Allaire, this clarity can increase the confidence of banks and large companies. Circle also reported that it had taken an important step towards federal banking supervision in July 2026.

Nevertheless, competition from the traditional financial sector is also growing. Banks in the United States and Europe are working on their own stablecoins and digital payment solutions. Circle must therefore not only compete with Tether, but also with financial institutions that already serve millions of customers.

Allaire sees the arrival of new providers primarily as a sign that digital payments are becoming increasingly important.

In addition to international payments, Circle sees a new growth market in artificial intelligence. According to Allaire, stablecoins can play an important role in payments between AI systems.

These are so-called AI agents, computer programs that perform tasks independently. For example, an AI agent can automatically pay for financial data or access an online service.

Sometimes this involves amounts of less than one cent. Traditional payment methods are often too expensive for such small transactions, as the processing fee may be higher than the amount paid.

Stablecoins such as USDC can offer an alternative. Especially if millions of AI systems are constantly making small payments, Circle sees great opportunities there.

At the same time, Allaire warns of new security risks. Cybercriminals can use AI to carry out large-scale automated attacks on financial systems.

For Circle, the competition is therefore not only about the popularity of USDC, but also about the reliability and security of the underlying payment technology.