Circle reported total revenue and reserve income of $694 million for the first quarter of 2026, up 20% from the same period last year.
summary
- Circle’s first-quarter revenue and reserve income rose 20% year over year to $694 million.
- USDC trading reached $77 billion, while on-chain transaction volume rose 263% to $21.5 trillion.
- Circle has raised $222 million for Arc from investors including a16z crypto, BlackRock, Apollo, and ICE.
USDC trading reached $77 billion at the end of the first quarter, up 28% year over year, according to a Circle report on Monday.
The company too I mentioned $21.5 trillion in transaction volume across the USDC chain for the quarter, up 263% from the previous year. Net income from continuing operations decreased 15% to $55 million, while adjusted EBITDA increased 24% to $151 million.
Circle said it raised $222 million through a pre-sale of the ARC token at $3 billion of the network’s fully diluted valuation. The round included cryptocurrencies a16z, Apollo Funds, ARK Invest, BlackRock, Bullish, General Catalyst, Intercontinental Exchange, SBI Group, and Standard Chartered Ventures.
The company published the ARC token whitepaper on Monday. It said the token could support governance, security and network operations on Arc, a layer-one blockchain planned for stablecoin payments and institutional finance.
The circuit connects USDC to AI payments
Circle also announced new tools for what it calls the agent-led economy. Products include Circle CLI, Agent Wallets, and Agent Marketplace, which aim to support USDC-based payments across blockchain and payment systems.
CEO Jeremy Allaire He said Circle is building “a trusted infrastructure for AI-driven economic activity.” This remains the company’s framework, as adoption will depend on developers, merchants, and enterprises using these tools at scale.
Meanwhile, the latest coverage male That department plans to add quantum-resistant wallets and signatures to Arc when the network hits the mainnet in 2026. The feature will start as an optional security before broader upgrades are made across validators and infrastructure.
Circle is also expanding its USDC settlement tools. Recent report He said Its USDC bridge is based on CCTP and supports cross-chain transfers, with over $20 billion in monthly cross-chain USDC settlements already powered by CCTP.
Stablecoin regulation remains part of the background
Circle’s growth comes after its push for a public listing. Previous coverage I mentioned That department has applied to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CRCL, with an initial stock price range of $24 to $26.
Stablecoin rules also remain fundamental to the market. Ditto I mentionedStablecoins have benefited from regulatory tailwinds after the GENIUS Act in the US and the MiCA Act in the EU created clearer rules for coin issuers.
