Binance Acquires $100 Million Stake in Circle as Part of Five-Year USDC Deal

Binance has acquired a $100 million stake in Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, through a private placement that closed on Sept. 17. The exchange purchased 1.24 million Class A shares at a price of $80.84 per share.

The equity purchase is part of an expanded five-year commercial agreement between the two companies. Under the terms of the deal, Circle will pay Binance monthly incentive fees based on the amount of USDC held through Circle’s Modular Smart Contract Wallet service. In return, Binance has committed to carrying out promotional activities for the stablecoin on its platform.

The new agreement replaces previous USDC-related deals established in November 2024 and August 2025. The contract includes provisions that allow either company to terminate the partnership early if specific events occur.

As part of the share purchase, Binance is subject to restrictions on its ability to sell, transfer, or hedge the shares for up to two years, though the exchange retains voting rights. Because the shares were sold in an unregistered private placement, Binance’s ability to resell them is limited unless they are registered or an exemption applies.

According to Circle, the $80.84 price per share represented a discount to the company's market value at the time of the sale.