What is USDC?

USDC is a stablecoin that targets a 1:1 peg to the US dollar. It gives businesses and users a dollar‑denominated asset for payments, settlements, and on‑chain finance.

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USDC

Stablecoins are crypto assets designed to keep a stable value on the market. USDC aims to track 1 USDC ≈ 1 USD and is backed by high‑quality reserves. These reserves are held in cash and short‑term U.S. Treasuries and undergo independent attestations published on Circle’s transparency portal.

Networks. USDC is live on 28 blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum, Base, Avalanche, Polygon, Stellar, and Algorand. Businesses can also move USDC between supported chains through Circle’s CCTP. See more on ERC‑20 and Wallet addresses.

Why USDC matters for businesses

USDC brings price stability to crypto payments and settlements. Companies can quote and collect in dollars while using blockchains for speed and global reach.

Key benefits of using USDC in business

• Stability: Keep invoices and balances in $ terms.
• Speed: Transfers confirm in seconds or minutes.
• Global reach: Serve customers and partners worldwide.
• Lower costs: Reduce reliance on intermediaries and avoid bank wire delays.
• Liquidity: USDC is widely available across exchanges and DeFi venues.

USDC in the CoinsPaid ecosystem

CoinsPaid helps businesses use and accept USDC:

• Business Crypto Account. Store and manage USDC with fiat pairs, workflows, and reports.
• Payment Gateway. Accept USDC from customers through hosted invoices, API, or e‑commerce plugins.
• Mass Payouts. Pay up to 100 employees, affiliates, and partners in USDC in one go.
• Conversions. Swap USDC with 40+ fiat currencies and other crypto to match your cashflow.
• Compliance & security. Licensed provider, full AML/KYC checks, on‑chain monitoring, and independent audits.

Is USDC secure?

Security has several layers:

• Issuer and reserves. USDC’s reserves are audited monthly and published transparently by Circle.
• Blockchain security. Each supported chain has its own consensus and fee system.
• Custody and operations. Businesses should use strong access control, multi‑user permissions, and align deposit/withdraw networks.

What is USDC used for?

• Payments and settlements: Price in USD, settle payments on‑chain.
• Trading and hedging: Hold value in a dollar token between moves.
• Payouts: Use USDC transactions to pay global teams near-instantly.
• Treasury: Move working capital across venues and blockchains.

What is a USDC address?

A wallet address is where you receive USDC on a given chain:

• Ethereum and EVM networks: addresses start with 0x and are 42 characters long.
• Solana: addresses are Base58 encoded and typically 32–44 characters long.

Always select the same network on both sides of a transfer to avoid losing your funds! Any transactions made from crypto wallets are irreversible.

Is USDC the same as USD?

No. USD is a legal tender fiat currency issued by the U.S. government. USDC is a private digital token pegged to USD and runs on public blockchains. Its value aims to remain at 1:1 through redemption and reserves but may vary during stress. USDC exists because USD has an established value that it’s pegged to.

Is USDC legal for businesses?

Crypto rules differ by country. Many jurisdictions allow businesses to use crypto with KYB/KYC and reporting in place. Always consult local tax and compliance rules. In the European Union, USDC is compliant with the MiCA Regulations and can therefore be used for payments. For context, also see our entry on KYC in crypto.

Related reading in the Glossary

• Stablecoins
• Wallet address
• ERC‑20
• Payment QR code
• KYC in crypto