Latest news with #stablecoins
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Circle Internet Stock Plummeted This Week
The company's stock is up more than 116% since its IPO earlier this month. The stock is already carrying a hefty premium, making investors wary. 10 stocks we like better than Circle Internet Group › Shares of Circle Internet Group (NYSE: CRCL) fell this week, down 24.9% as of market close on Friday. The slide comes as the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and Nasdaq-100 were up 3.4% and 4.2%, respectively. The company, which went public earlier this month, is the sole issuer of USDC, one of the most popular stablecoins on the market. After an incredible post-IPO run, the company's stock retreated this week as investors grew wary of its valuation. Last week, the Senate's passage of the Genius Act, which creates a legal framework for stablecoins and their use in the banking industry, sent Circle stock flying. This week, news that top Republicans want to fast-track the legislation through the House wasn't enough to keep Circle stock moving higher. It was also big news that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) had ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to formally consider cryptocurrency as an asset in mortgage loan risk assessments, further integrating crypto into traditional finance. Even after this week's nearly 25% retreat, Circle's market capitalization is still north of $43 billion. With sales last year of $1.7 billion and net income of just $155.7 million, that is a hefty valuation. There is a ton of growth baked into the current stock price -- too much for my taste. While I think stablecoins and USDC will grow rapidly in adoption, there are several glaring issues with Circle that makes me hesitate. Namely, as part of its partnership agreements, Circle owes the majority of its revenue to its partners, especially Coinbase. Also, the company's revenue is extremely vulnerable to changes in interest rates. If rate cuts come, expect Circle's top line to be cut too. Before you buy stock in Circle Internet Group, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Circle Internet Group wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $704,676!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $950,198!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,048% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 175% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025 Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Coinbase Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Circle Internet Stock Plummeted This Week was originally published by The Motley Fool Connectez-vous pour accéder à votre portefeuille
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Europe's Time Is Now (for Stablecoins)
Trump has come into office with a wrecking ball – and his acts of unpredictability, both domestically and abroad, have only hampered the dollar's status as the choice reserve currency. In the crypto world, this only means one thing – USD-pegged stablecoins will wane in dominance, leaving a vacuum for other currencies to pounce. And of them, it might just be the rapidly growing EUR coins that muscle up the hardest. Let's take a step back. Since Trump's inauguration, the dollar has fallen to a three-year low against a basket of major currencies, declining by approximately 5% over roughly the last six months. A combination of whimsical trade policy, feckless fiscal bets, and, overall, international antagonism have beleaguered the U.S. market, damning its equities, raising its Treasury yields, and taking an axe to the dollar. The U.S.'s prominence as the strongest and most stable economy has been tested. And we've even seen an 'Anywhere, but the USA' trade come to light as a result. With the U.S. economy and markets so volatile, investors have – as usual – fled to safe-haven assets like gold to mitigate any losses. But surprisingly, the euro has also risen up the ranks: according to a recent report by Reuters, central bankers across the globe are now looking at gold, the renminbi, and the euro as choice reserve assets. The world is diversifying away from the dollar – and that'll be sure to reflect in DeFi. Of course, that being said, I'm not talking about a full-fledged overtake here. In the stablecoin world, USD is very much king. Tether dominates nearly 70% of the market, and we've even seen Circle make headlines for securing a $5.4 billion IPO. But as the dollar wanes – especially to the point it makes losses against emerging markets and the G10 – I just think the market will broaden out. USD monopolies might not be as strong. Currently, there are 12 prominent euro-pegged stablecoins and 56 USD counterparts – a huge difference. But as the euro makes up its losses and gains further strength, who's to say these coins won't compete? With enthusiastic fiscal policy, stronger defence spending, and, of course, the momentum of capital flow, the euro has climbed to near pivotal $1.20. And if Trump continues on his current path, I expect this will only climb further. It's not just a trend of de-dollarization to factor in, either. The E.U. has become increasingly open to crypto, this year cementing the final provisions of the MiCA framework – giving crypto issuers the ability to attain licences and establish themselves in the regulated European market. Tether is not compliant with MiCA, giving alternative coins – including EUR-pegged ones, such as EURC – an opportunity to strengthen their regional market share. By way of that, the E.U. has subsequently adopted a more favorable and supportive stance toward crypto issuers. OKX, Coinbase, and soon perhaps even Gemini are all crypto issuers and exchanges with or about to receive EU approval. Forget Trump's vows to make the U.S. the 'crypto capital of the planet.' The EU is fast catching up. Europe is no longer the anti-innovation, bureaucratic monster it once was. It has palmed off its past scepticism, opened its doors to digital assets, and beyond that, as per Christine Lagarde, is ambitious enough to be pushing for its 'global euro moment.' It is truly capitalizing on the misfortunes of Uncle Sam, and I see no plausible reason as to how this won't reflect in the stablecoin market. I understand the attitude toward stablecoins is still mixed. The Bank of International Settlements has recently cast them off as a 'financial stability risk.' Even so, the global market cap of the broader ecosystem recently peaked at over $250 billion. The size, popularity, and appeal of the market cannot be denied. And they're certainly more practical than tokenised currencies, as BIS' Project Agora is attempting to push forward. As such, I don't see the stablecoin market contracting any time soon. And as long as Trump continues his heavy-handed approach and Europe capitalises on the fallout, I can only see issuers veering closer and closer to EUR-based coins. Complete de-dollarisation is far from realistic, but as long as the euro remains on its upward trajectory, so will investments into and transactions via the continent and its currency. By 2028 – and by that, I mean the end of Trump's term – I predict we'll see more EUR-pegged stablecoins come to the surface, and so much so that they'll even threaten their American counterparts. Recession risks, bear market risks, and, overall, a lack of investor confidence have taken the dollar into the doldrums. Europe's time is now.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stablecoins Are the ‘Quiet Winners' of Polymarket's Surge: Coinbase Research
As Polymarket seeks a $1 billion valuation in a Founders Fund-led round, the 'quiet winners' may be the stablecoins underpinning its settlement infrastructure, Coinbase analysts wrote in a Friday research report. All of the platform's trades settle in Circle's USDC on Polygon, creating measurable demand for the dollar-pegged token. And while lending protocols lock capital in pools, prediction markets like Polymarket cycle funds at a high velocity — settling, redeploying and transferring balances continuously, the analysts said. The platform has processed more than $14 billion in lifetime trading volume. In May alone, it cleared $1 billion, with daily active traders averaging between 20,000 and 30,000. Meanwhile, in the immediate aftermath of U.S. President Donald Trump's re-election in November 2024, monthly volume soared to $2.5 billion, sparking corresponding spikes in USDC transfers and bridge activity. Such flows demonstrate how stablecoins now power real-time market infrastructure. 'Momentum is likely to accelerate further with a new content partnership with X, positioning prediction markets as viral social content rather than purely financial tools,' the report said. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Asia Morning Briefing: Asia's Banks Look to Stablecoins to Prevent Deposit Flight
Welcome to Asia Morning Briefing, a daily summary of top stories during U.S. hours and an overview of market moves and analysis. For a detailed overview of U.S. markets, see CoinDesk's Crypto Daybook Americas. While stablecoins (USDT, USDC) dominated U.S. headlines last month amid the GENIUS Act and Circle's (CRCL) blockbuster IPO, Asia's quieter yet strategic adoption is reshaping the region's cross-border finance. Asian banks increasingly see stablecoins like USDT and USDC as defensive tools against deposit flight and lost transaction revenue. Behind the scenes, stablecoins are already playing an important role in the region's financial plumbing. Fireblocks' Head of Asia, Amy Zhang, said in a recent interview with CoinDesk that major banks across Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong are proactively exploring local-currency stablecoins to mitigate these threats. 'If I'm not one of the banks banking Circle or banking Tether, am I going to lose deposits?' Zhang told CoinDesk. 'That's a huge risk for banks.' In Korea, eight major banks, including KB Kookmin and Shinhan, are forming a consortium to launch a Korean won stablecoin by 2026, a direct response to surging local use of USDT and USDC for cross-border transactions. Japan's banking giants MUFG, SMBC, and Mizuho are piloting yen-pegged stablecoins to streamline trade finance and reduce dependence on traditional cross-border rails. Hong Kong's Bank of East Asia also recently piloted its own USD and HKD stablecoin settlement network. Payment service providers (PSPs) are aggressively fueling the adoption of stablecoins, shifting away from costly traditional banking channels. "A year ago, PSPs were asking if they should do stablecoins," Zhang said. "Now they say, 'I'm moving a millions of client flows; I need a better wallet.'" Fireblocks, which processed over $3 trillion in digital assets last year, reports that stablecoins now account for about half its transaction volume. Zhang cited growing usage among Asian e-commerce giants. Recent media reports say that China's plans to cut supplier-payment costs dramatically using stablecoins, which is an example of what Zhang mentioned. PSPs such as Hong Kong's Tazapay use Circle's USDC to efficiently route cross-border payments into USD and HKD disbursements to help with instant payouts for content creators and gamers in Asia's emerging markets. A dashboard from Visa Analytics shows that weekends have 30% higher stablecoin volumes, underscoring their role in retail and gig use. Tether's USDT dominates stablecoin flows in emerging Asian markets, driven by its liquidity and ease-of-access Zhang said, and by contrast, USDC gains traction in highly regulated financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong. As the region's financial institutions adopt stablecoins defensively and corporate users operationalize them pragmatically, Asia's quiet transformation in cross-border finance infrastructure could become the next headline in stablecoin's evolving history. The question is, what will be the next IPO to capitalize on this? Bakkt Holdings (NYSE: BKKT) is preparing to join the growing ranks of public companies allocating capital to bitcoin, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday. The SEC filing shows that Bakkt is looking to raise $1 billion through a mix of securities, common stock, preferred stock, debt, warrants, and units to buy BTC. The move comes as corporate BTC treasury strategies gain momentum globally. Companies like Metaplanet in Japan, Bridge Biotherapeutics in Korea, and Semler Scientific in the U.S. have made headlines by adding BTC to their balance sheets. The registration follows a wave of negative news: Bakkt recently lost two of its largest clients, Bank of America and Webull, responsible for a significant chunk of its loyalty and crypto service revenues. In February of last year, the company warned that it might not be able to continue operations. A few months later, Trump Media was reportedly said to be looking into an acquisition, but since then, nothing has materialized. Bakkt is also said to be exploring the potential sale or wind-down of its loyalty division as it refocuses on crypto payments and trading infrastructure. BTC: Bitcoin held steady above $107K Thursday ahead of a major $40B options expiry on Deribit, with a $102K max pain price and no clear directional bias from traders, while Core Scientific surged 33% on takeover rumors. ETH: Ethereum is trading at $2,420 as it tests major resistance between $2,500–$2,600, with analysts saying a breakout could pave the way to $2,800 or even $4,000 amid falling exchange reserves and record user activity. Gold: Gold slipped to $3,331 on Thursday despite a weaker dollar and falling Treasury yields, as strong U.S. jobless claims and durable goods data offset recessionary GDP revisions and added uncertainty over the Fed's future leadership. Nikkei 225: Asia-Pacific markets are poised to rise Friday, tracking Wall Street gains after the White House downplayed concerns over upcoming tariff deals. S&P 500: The S&P 500 rose 0.8% Thursday, nearing a record high after a $9.8 trillion rebound from April lows, capping a 23% rally driven by easing tariff fears and renewed market optimism. Hong Kong sharpens crypto hub focus amid rising global competition (SCMP) Real-World Asset Tokenization Market Has Grown Almost Fivefold in 3 Years (CoinDesk) What's Next for Tokenization? (CoinDesk)
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Circle Mania Grips South Korea as Retail Investors Pile Into Stablecoin Play
New York-listed Circle (CRCL) has become the breakout stock of June in Seoul. South Korean retail traders have poured nearly $450 million into shares of Circle Internet Group, per Bloomberg. The flurry of investment makes Circle the most heavily bought overseas stock this month and a top-four pick for the year. Since its June 5 debut, the stock has rallied more than 500%, briefly hitting a $77 billion market cap, making the company more valuable than its issued stablecoin USDC, which sits on a market cap of over $61 billion. South Koreans have been known to drive euphoric rallies in both their stock markets and major tokens, such as XRP XRP and dogecoin DOGE. It has even given rise to the crypto market-specific 'Kimchi premium,' where local investors aggressively chase high-volatility assets, pushing prices higher by 10%-20% on local exchanges compared to their global peers. The demand for Circle comes on the back of newly elected President Lee Jae Myung fast-tracking of reforms to legalize korean won (KRW_-backed stablecoins, giving fintech giants like KakaoPay a clear runway to issue digital won. KakaoPay's shares are up 160% in June alone, and Korean investors are now likely applying that same thesis abroad, with Circle as the global proxy for stablecoin adoption. While Circle is a freshly public company, it's one of the few firms offering pure exposure to the infrastructure layer of stablecoins, one of the few sectors in crypto that has achieved breakout momentum outside of niche in to access your portfolio
