Binance buys $100 million Circle stake and signs new five-year USDC promotion deal
Binance bought $100 million of Circle stock in a private placement and signed an expanded five-year deal under which Circle pays Binance monthly fees tied to USDC holdings.
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Why it matters
The deal deepens the commercial ties between the world's largest crypto exchange and USDC's issuer, giving Binance a direct financial stake in Circle's equity alongside recurring fees tied to USDC balances on its platform.
Where the sources disagree
Whether financial terms of the five-year commercial agreement were disclosed
Financial terms not disclosed
Finance Magnates Crypto
Circle will pay a monthly incentive fee as a percentage of USDC held via the Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure
CoinDesk, Decrypt, Crypto.News, Cointelegraph, Unchained, Bitcoin.com News
Finance Magnates reported the companies did not disclose further financial terms of the five-year commercial agreement, while other outlets describe the fee structure as a monthly percentage-based incentive tied to USDC holdings.
Figures that do not reconcile
Found by comparing the numbers in the reports automatically. They are differences, not yet confirmed to be about the same thing.
reported value (binance circle)
$80.84
CoinDesk
$94.49
CryptoPotato
CoinDesk reports $80.84, CryptoPotato reports $94.49 (14% apart).
reported value (circle)
$80.84
Crypto.News
$94.49
CryptoPotato
Crypto.News reports $80.84, CryptoPotato reports $94.49 (14% apart).
reported value
$80.84
CoinGape
$94.49
CryptoPotato
CoinGape reports $80.84, CryptoPotato reports $94.49 (14% apart).
reported value (binance)
$80.84
Unchained
$94.49
CryptoPotato
Unchained reports $80.84, CryptoPotato reports $94.49 (14% apart).
reported value (circle)
$80.84
The Crypto Basic
$94.49
CryptoPotato
The Crypto Basic reports $80.84, CryptoPotato reports $94.49 (14% apart).
Key facts
Binance purchased 1,237,011 Circle Class A shares at $80.84 each for $100 million in a private placement.
100,000,000 USDDisputed figureReported by CoinDesk
The private placement and the commercial agreement both closed on September 17.
Reported by CoinDesk
Circle will pay Binance a monthly incentive fee calculated as a percentage of USDC held through Circle's Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure.
Reported by CoinDesk
The new agreement supersedes and replaces prior Circle-Binance agreements from November 2024 and August 2025.
Reported by Decrypt
The $80.84 purchase price reflected a discount to Circle's market value before the transaction, roughly 5% below the September 17 closing price of $85.09.
80.84 USDDisputed figureReported by CoinDesk
What happened
Circle sold Binance 1,237,011 Class A shares at $80.84 apiece in a private placement that closed September 17, raising $100 million, according to an SEC 8-K filing reported by CoinDesk, Decrypt, Cointelegraph and others. Alongside the share sale, the companies expanded their USDC partnership into a new five-year commercial agreement under which Circle will pay Binance a monthly incentive fee based on USDC held through Circle's Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure, while Binance promotes USDC on its platform. Binance generally cannot sell, transfer or hedge the shares for up to two years, or until it terminates the commercial arrangements under certain conditions, but retains voting rights. Several outlets, including Decrypt, Cointelegraph, Crypto.News and CryptoPotato, report the new deal supersedes and replaces prior agreements from November 2024 and August 2025. Finance Magnates and CryptoPotato noted Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said the partnership aims to expand dollar access in emerging markets, and Finance Magnates reported the financial terms of the five-year commercial agreement were not disclosed beyond the equity purchase, while other outlets described the fee as a set percentage without giving a number.
How the story developed
- First report
First report by CoinDesk
Binance buys $100 million Circle stake in five-year USDC promotion deal
- Update
Circle files 8-K disclosing Binance's $100 million stake purchase and expanded USDC deal
Circle disclosed the private placement and new five-year commercial agreement in an SEC filing published Tuesday, September 22.
- Independent corroboration
Independently corroborated by Decrypt
Binance Takes $100M Stake in Circle Under Five-Year USDC Promotion Deal
- Mainstream pickup
Picked up by mainstream media (Finance Magnates Crypto)
Binance Takes $100m Stake in Circle Alongside Five-Year USDC Deal
- Official statement
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire comments on the partnership's aim to expand dollar access
Allaire said the deal would help expand access to dollar-based digital assets, particularly in emerging markets.
- Update
CRCL shares rise in premarket trading following the announcement
Circle shares gained roughly 1.3% to 2.76% in premarket trading Tuesday after the deal was disclosed, extending Monday's advance.
- Official statement
Official statement from Bitcoin.com News
Binance Buys $100M in Circle Stock, Deepens USDC Alliance
How coverage built up
Independent sources over time, counted the way the consensus panel counts them: a republication of a wire story does not move the line.
- 22 Sept 2026, 11:07 UTC: CoinDesk — 1 independent source, 1 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 11:39 UTC: Decrypt — 2 independent sources, 2 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 11:43 UTC: Crypto.News — 3 independent sources, 3 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 12:04 UTC: CoinGape — 4 independent sources, 4 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 12:18 UTC: Cointelegraph — 5 independent sources, 5 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 12:46 UTC: Unchained — 6 independent sources, 6 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 13:04 UTC: Finance Magnates Crypto, Mainstream media — 7 independent sources, 7 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 13:10 UTC: The Crypto Basic — 8 independent sources, 8 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 13:10 UTC: CryptoPotato — 9 independent sources, 9 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 13:27 UTC: Blockchain.News — 10 independent sources, 10 reports
- 22 Sept 2026, 17:40 UTC: Bankless — 11 independent sources, 11 reports
- 23 Sept 2026, 01:30 UTC: Bitcoin.com News, official — 12 independent sources, 12 reports
Affected entities
Also mentioned: Bitcoin, United States, Coinbase, NYSE, Ethereum, Solana, Uniswap
Original sources
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