Tokenized RWA Market Crosses $50B as BlackRock BUIDL Hits $10B
USDC USDC
Rank #6$0.999718▼ +0.01%(24h)▼ +0.01%(7d)
24h Low $0.99900224h High $1.00
Market Cap
$76.45B
24h Volume
$9.81B
Circulating
76.47B USDC
All-Time High
$1.04
▼ +4.20% from ATH
USDC Price Chart
Key Metrics
Market Cap
$76.45B
Volume (24h)
$9.81B
Circulating Supply
76.47B USDC
Max Supply
N/A
USDC Converter
USDC Converter
USDC
$USD
1 USDC = $1.00
USDC Historical Data
| All-Time High | $1.04 (November 15, 2018) |
| All-Time Low | $0.877647 (March 11, 2023) |
Where to Buy USDC
About USDC (USDC)
What is USDC?
USDC is the second-largest stablecoin in cryptocurrency and the largest US-regulated dollar-backed stablecoin. Each USDC is designed to trade at $1, fully backed by reserves held by Circle, the New York-based fintech that issues the token. USDC launched in September 2018 as a joint product of Circle and Coinbase, originally under the Centre Consortium.
Circle markets USDC to US institutions as a more transparent alternative to Tether. Reserves are disclosed monthly, the issuer is registered as a money-services business in the US, and the company has applied to become a federally regulated bank. The USDC token circulates across more than 15 blockchains, with most supply on Ethereum, Solana, and Base.
USDC price today
The USDC price targets $1 by design. Live data on this page is aggregated from a multi-venue market feed and refreshes every 60 seconds. Small deviations from the peg reflect normal arbitrage spreads and exchange-specific demand conditions. Larger deviations are rare and typically resolve within hours.
What moves USDC around its peg:
- Issuance and redemption flows. Circle mints new USDC against incoming USD deposits and burns USDC against redemptions. The 1:1 mint-redeem mechanism is what holds the peg.
- Banking access. Circle relies on bank partners for USD reserves. Disruptions to those partners (such as the March 2023 Silicon Valley Bank failure) have moved USDC off peg.
- Stablecoin rotation. Capital flows between USDC, USDT, DAI, and other stablecoins shift the relative balances on exchanges and DeFi protocols.
- Regulatory news. Major US stablecoin legislation milestones move both USDC supply and overall stablecoin market structure.
The numbers in the price card above are live. Stablecoin analysis focuses on reserves and counterparty risk, not price action.
USDC reserves and how the peg is maintained
USDC is fully backed by reserves disclosed monthly by Grant Thornton, an independent accounting firm. Reserve composition is more conservative than most other stablecoins, focused on cash and short-duration US Treasuries.
- US Treasury bills with maturities under three months. The largest share of reserves.
- Cash held at regulated US banks. Includes reserves at the New York Fed.
- Repo agreements collateralized by US Treasuries. Used for liquidity management.
- Circle Reserve Fund (CRSV1). A government money market fund managed by BlackRock that holds US Treasuries and cash.
Reserve composition is published in detail every month, with line-by-line breakdowns of holdings. Tether does not publish a comparable line-by-line reserve breakdown.
USDC across blockchains
USDC is issued natively on more than 15 blockchains. Native issuance means each USDC on a given chain is fully backed and redeemable, not bridged. The largest networks by USDC supply:
- Ethereum. The original USDC issuance chain. Used heavily by DeFi, institutional flows, and large-volume settlements.
- Solana. Second-largest USDC chain by supply. Fast and cheap, growing share of stablecoin activity.
- Base. Coinbase’s L2. Native USDC issuance launched in 2024, used heavily in consumer apps and on-chain payments.
- Arbitrum, Polygon, Avalanche, Optimism, Stellar, Algorand, Tron. Lower volumes but native USDC issuance on each.
USDC supports Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP), which moves USDC between supported chains by burning on one chain and minting on another. CCTP is more secure than traditional token bridges and is used by major exchanges and wallets.
USDC vs Tether vs DAI
USDC is one of three major stablecoin choices. The differences matter for risk, regulatory standing, and use case.
- Issuer: USDC is issued by Circle (US, regulated). Tether (USDT) is issued by Tether Limited (Hong Kong). DAI is issued through MakerDAO smart contracts using crypto collateral.
- Reserves: USDC reserves are mostly cash and short-duration US Treasuries with monthly attestations by Grant Thornton. USDT reserves are more diversified. DAI is overcollateralized by ETH, USDC, and other assets.
- Regulation: USDC operates under US state-level money-transmission rules and has applied for federal banking. Tether is offshore. DAI is a decentralized smart-contract issuance.
- Use case: USDC dominates US institutional flows and DeFi protocols that prefer regulated counterparties. USDT dominates global trading volume. DAI is preferred by users who want decentralized issuance.
Splitting between USDC and USDT is a common way to diversify issuer risk. US institutional users typically prefer USDC for regulatory clarity.
How to buy and use USDC
Acquiring USDC is the same flow as any major asset.
- Pick a regulated exchange with deep USDC/USD liquidity. Coinbase, Kraken, and most US-regulated exchanges quote USDC at near-1:1 with USD. Our exchange ratings compare the leading options.
- Verify your identity. KYC usually takes under 10 minutes.
- Fund the account. Bank transfers are cheapest. ACH and SEPA settle in 1 to 3 business days.
- Buy or convert. Most exchanges offer instant USD-to-USDC conversion at a small spread or zero fee.
- Choose your network for withdrawal. Ethereum is best for DeFi. Solana is fast and cheap. Base is consumer-friendly. Always confirm the destination wallet supports the network.
For storage, hardware wallets (Ledger, Trezor) and reputable software wallets (MetaMask, Phantom, Rabby, Trust Wallet) all support USDC on multiple chains. Avoid leaving large balances on exchanges long term.
Risks of holding USDC
USDC is not riskless. The risks are different from those of volatile cryptocurrencies.
- Issuer risk. Circle is a private company. If it fails or freezes redemptions, USDC holders depend on the legal claims process and the structure of the reserve fund.
- Banking partner risk. The March 2023 Silicon Valley Bank failure briefly de-pegged USDC to $0.87 because Circle held reserves at SVB. The peg recovered within 72 hours after federal intervention.
- Regulatory risk. US stablecoin legislation could change USDC’s structure, reserve requirements, or banking partnerships.
- Smart-contract risk. USDC on each chain depends on the security of that chain’s smart-contract environment. Native issuance reduces but does not eliminate this risk.
- Concentration risk. The stablecoin market is dominated by USDT and USDC. A failure of either would have systemic effects on crypto markets.
This page is information, not financial advice. Stablecoin holdings carry counterparty risk that is different from, but not always smaller than, the price volatility of other assets.
USDC price analysis
At the time of writing, USDC (USDC) trades at $0.999718, with a 24-hour trading volume of $9.81B and a total market capitalization of $76.45B. The asset is currently ranked #6 among all tracked cryptocurrencies by market cap.
Over the last 24 hours, the USDC price has dropped +0.01%. On the seven-day chart, USDC has retraced +0.01%, under sustained selling pressure in both timeframes. Short-term price swings are often amplified by liquidity conditions, news flow, and derivatives positioning, so traders should confirm signals across multiple indicators before acting.
USDC's all-time high of $1.04 was set on November 15, 2018. The current market price is +4.20% below that historical peak. Distance from the all-time high is a common reference point when evaluating long-term recoveries and identifying macro support or resistance levels.
How to buy USDC
Buying USDC (USDC) is straightforward once you know which exchange to use and which trading pair offers the best liquidity. The steps below describe the typical flow used by most investors today.
- Choose a reputable exchange. Pick a platform that lists USDC with deep liquidity, transparent fees, and strong security practices. Our top-rated exchanges guide compares the leading venues side-by-side.
- Create and verify your account.Complete the exchange's KYC process — most platforms require a government-issued ID and a short identity check. Verification is usually a one-time step that takes just a few minutes.
- Deposit funds. Fund your account with fiat currency via bank transfer, card, or a stablecoin like USDT or USDC. Stablecoin deposits typically offer the fastest settlement and lowest fees.
- Place a buy order. Navigate to the USDC/USD or USDC/USDT pair and either execute a market order for instant fills or set a limit order at your preferred entry price.
- Secure your USDC. For long-term holdings, consider moving your tokens to a non-custodial wallet — a hardware device for the highest security, or a reputable software wallet for frequent access.
You can also use the built-in USDC converter above to estimate exactly how much USDC you would receive for a given amount in USD before placing an order.
Is USDC a good investment?
Whether USDC is a good investment depends on your goals, time horizon, and tolerance for volatility. Like all cryptocurrencies, USDC carries significant market risk — prices can rise or fall sharply in a single day, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.
Potential strengths
- Ranked #6 by market cap with an established trading history and active exchange coverage.
- Transparent on-chain data: real-time supply, circulation metrics, and publicly auditable transactions.
- Ongoing ecosystem development and community engagement, as reflected in Stablecoins, USD Stablecoin sector activity.
Key risks to consider
- Volatility: 24-hour moves of 5–15% are common in crypto markets.
- Regulatory uncertainty: changes in policy across major jurisdictions can materially affect price and access.
- Liquidity and custody risk: not all exchanges are equally safe, and self-custody requires careful key management.
This page provides data and analysis for educational purposes only. It is not financial advice. Always do your own research, diversify, and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
FAQ
What is USDC used for?
USDC is used as a digital US dollar across crypto markets and on-chain applications. Traders use USDC to move quickly between assets without converting to fiat. DeFi platforms use USDC as a stable settlement and lending asset. Consumer apps on Base use USDC for payments and remittances. Institutional users prefer USDC for its regulatory transparency.
Is USDC safe?
USDC carries different risks from volatile cryptocurrencies. The peg holds in normal conditions because Circle issues and redeems at $1 against USD. The main risks are issuer credit risk (Circle), banking partner risk (Circle holds reserves at regulated banks), and regulatory changes. USDC briefly de-pegged to $0.87 during the March 2023 Silicon Valley Bank failure but recovered within 72 hours.
How is USDC backed?
USDC is fully backed by reserves disclosed monthly. The composition is mostly US Treasury bills with maturities under three months, cash held at regulated US banks (including New York Fed), repo agreements, and the Circle Reserve Fund (CRSV1) managed by BlackRock. Grant Thornton provides monthly attestations.
USDC vs USDT: which is better?
It depends on your priority. USDC is issued by a US-regulated company (Circle) with monthly reserve disclosures and conservative reserve composition. USDT has higher liquidity on global exchanges and dominates trading volume in Asia and Latin America. US institutional users typically prefer USDC. Active traders typically use USDT. Many holders split between both to diversify issuer risk.
Has USDC ever lost its peg?
Yes, briefly. USDC dropped to $0.87 in March 2023 after Silicon Valley Bank failed and Circle disclosed that part of its reserves were held there. The federal government guaranteed SVB depositors that weekend, and USDC returned to $1 within 72 hours. The peg has held in all other major market events.
Which network should I use for USDC?
It depends on what you are doing. Use Ethereum for DeFi, institutional flows, and large settlements. Use Solana for fast, cheap on-chain trading. Use Base for consumer apps and on-chain payments. Always confirm the destination wallet supports the network you are sending on. USDC sent to a wrong-network address can be permanently lost.
Is USDC regulated?
Circle, the issuer of USDC, is registered as a money-services business with FinCEN and holds money-transmitter licenses in most US states. Circle has applied to the OCC for a federal banking license. Reserves are held at regulated US banks. Monthly attestations are provided by Grant Thornton. This makes USDC the most regulated major stablecoin in the US.
Can USDC collapse?
A USDC collapse would require a sudden withdrawal of most reserves, regulatory action that halted redemptions, or a banking failure that wiped out reserves. The structure makes outright collapse less likely than for less-regulated alternatives, but not impossible. Concentration risk in the stablecoin market means a USDC failure would have systemic effects on crypto.
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