What Is USD Coin USDC? The Motley Fool

USDC’s founding companies have extensive experience in the cryptocurrency world. Circle is not only backed by crypto-focused investors such as Bitmain and Blockchain Capital, it also owned crypto-exchange Poloniex between 2018 and 2019. What is USD Coin In 2021, Circle announced its intentions of becoming a national digital currency bank. It works with many ERC-20 compatible wallets, a long list of cryptocurrency exchanges, and has real-world use in global commerce and money transfers.

Understanding USD Coin (USDC)

USDC is an ERC-20 token, so when it comes to security, it relies on the underlying Ethereum network. If you’re worrying about the security of its peg, then that responsibility lies with Circle. To be transparent, USDC is audited by a third party that publishes information on its reserves periodically.

• However, there are crypto lending services that allow investors to deposit their USDC and get paid interest in return.
• These features mean USDC is reasonably secure both technically and financially.
• This allows traders from different regions to trade in a common environment.
• USDC provides customers with a fast and cost-effective way to transfer value quickly anywhere in the world.
• This makes USD Coin a popular option for holding cryptocurrency without the volatility and price risk of major coins such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
• Many exchanges have trading pairs that include USDC against Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Who Are the Founders of USDC?

We calculate the total cryptocurrency market capitalization as the sum of all cryptocurrencies listed on the site. In a nutshell, you probably shouldn’t put your life savings in USDC — or any centralized stablecoin for that matter. The risk of companies going bankrupt is a tangible one in this day and age, and if that were to happen, the stablecoin could lose its peg. Waning public trust is another factor that could mar a stablecoin’s stability, but that has yet to happen in the stablecoin industry. Stablecoins such as USD Coin are unlike most cryptocurrencies in that they have practically zero value as an investment vehicle. The only exception to that rule is if you live someplace where the US dollar is far more stable than the local currency.

the USD//Coin Forecast & Prognosis

It’s a bit difficult to give an exact number here — as in theory, the number of USDC that can exist is limitless. New coins are created in line with demand, whenever someone wants to purchase one with their humble dollar. Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3.

Valuable Franklin Half Dollars & Why Yours Might Be Worth a Lot

Launched in 2018 by Centre, a consortium founded by Circle and Coinbase, USD Coin was created as a regulated stablecoin that runs on blockchain technology. As its name suggests, USD Coin (USDC) is a cryptocurrency whose value is tied to the U.S. dollar. USD Coin is a stablecoin, and as such one USDC should always be equal in value to one dollar.

Understanding USD Coin

“It also enables the transfer of capital across different geographical jurisdictions much faster, especially compared to traditional wire transfers,” Manoppo says. Outside of Coinbase, Circle is currently https://www.tokenexus.com/ the only other approved entity to issue new USDC coins. A USD Coin is usually worth slightly more than $1 (such as $1.0001 or $1.0003), but for the most part, it has been stable since mid-2020.

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The accounting firm Deloitte oversees these segregated accounts and provides monthly attestation reports. Although it was only minted from 1948 to 1963, the Franklin half dollar is a hot item with collectors. This 50-cent piece honors founding father Benjamin Franklin.

• A huge proportion of the value created and stored in cryptocurrency is enabled by smart contracts.
• The Xe Rate Alerts will let you know when the rate you need is triggered on your selected currency pairs.
• It will typically be a little easier to trade Tether for other cryptocurrencies due to its trading volume.
• Payment processors Stripe and Checkout.com both announced support for USD Coin in 2022.
• Even though it’s not an investment, USD Coin is an option for a passive income stream.
• It combines non-fungible tokens (NFT), in-game crypto tokens, decentralized finance (DeFi) elements and sometimes even metaverse applications.