➡️ Binance takes $100 million stake in Circle with five year USDC agreement

🔖 Binance has invested $100 million in Circle Internet Group while entering a new five year commercial agreement that will pay the crypto exchange to promote USDC across its platform. The purchase was completed alongside new commercial terms between the companies covering the distribution and promotion of USDC. Circle agreed to pay Binance monthly incentive fees based on the amount of USDC held through its Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure, while Binance agreed to carry out promotional activities tied to the stablecoin.

📊 Circle said the $80.84 share price represented a discount to the company’s market value before the transaction. Binance faces restrictions on disposing of the shares under the agreement, limiting its ability to sell, transfer or hedge the position until the earlier of two years or certain circumstances in which Binance terminates the related commercial arrangements. The latest agreement replaces earlier commercial arrangements between Circle and Binance dating to November 2024 and August 2025.

📣 Circle disclosed in its annual filing that the November 2024 agreement included a $60.3 million one time upfront payment to Binance and monthly incentive fees calculated using USDC balances held on the exchange and in its treasury, subject to minimum balance requirements. The treasury portion of that arrangement carried a two year term. An expanded agreement signed in August 2025 covered USDC held through Circle’s Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure. Circle agreed under those terms to make monthly incentive payments based on qualifying balances, while the arrangement carried a four year term with specified early termination provisions.