Binance invests $100 million in Circle and signs five‑year USDC promotion agreement

Binance completed a private placement of 1.24 million Circle Internet Group Class A common shares on Sept. 17, paying about $100 million at $80.84 per share. The equity purchase is paired with a five‑year commercial agreement that compensates Binance for promoting the USDC stablecoin on its exchange.

Equity purchase and restrictions

The shares were issued in an unregistered private placement. Binance cannot sell, transfer or hedge the securities for up to two years, but it retains voting rights during that period.

Monthly incentive structure

Under the new terms, Circle will pay Binance monthly incentive fees based on the amount of USDC held through Circle’s Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure. In return, Binance will carry out promotional activities tied to USDC across its products and services.

Replacement of prior agreements

The five‑year deal supersedes earlier USDC arrangements between the companies that were signed in November 2024 and August 2025. Those prior contracts included a one‑time upfront payment of $60.3 million and varying term lengths for incentive payments.

Broader USDC partnership context

Circle’s distribution network for USDC includes similar agreements with other platforms, such as a three‑year renewal with Coinbase. At the end of Q2, Circle reported $73.3 billion of USDC in circulation, a 19 % year‑over‑year increase.

Impact on Binance’s product suite

Binance has been expanding USDC usage since re‑introducing the stablecoin to its spot markets in late 2023. Recent developments include integration of USDC deposits on Circle’s Arc network and the inclusion of tokenized Circle shares in its bStocks offering.