EU classifies USDC as a significant token: What it means for the USDC price

Published on 10/19/2026 at 19:00 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

USDC enters direct EBA oversight on November 12, 2026. The USDC price stands at 1.0009 USD on October 16, 2026, with a 72.43 billion USD market cap.

EU oversight and reserve rules

On October 14, 2026, the EBA classified USDC as the first significant e-money token among 45 notified in the European Union.
MiCA reserve requirements cited on October 1, 2026, set a 30 percent bank-deposit floor that rises to 60 percent for significant tokens.
The USDC price stands at 1.0009 USD as of October 16, 2026, with the comparison reference set to the UTC daily close of October 15, 2026.
Direct EBA supervision of USDC reserve and redemption safeguards starts on November 12, 2026.

USDC, XCRYPTOUSDC0, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

USDC (USDC) became the first significant e-money token under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation on October 14, 2026. The USDC price stands at 1.0009 USD as of October 16, 2026, while the token's market capitalization is 72.43 billion USD, according to Investing.com.

EBA takes responsibility on November 12, 2026

The European Banking Authority classified USDC, issued in the European Union by Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS, as a significant e-money token under MiCA on October 14, 2026. The EBA said there are 45 e-money tokens notified under MiCA and that USDC is the first to receive the significant designation, according to the European Banking Authority.

From November 12, 2026, the EBA will directly supervise own funds, reserve assets, liquidity requirements, and recovery and redemption plans for USDC. France's Autorite de Controle Prudentiel et de Resolution will retain responsibility for governance, qualifying holdings, fit-and-proper assessments, outsourcing, and conflicts of interest, the European Banking Authority said.

MiCA reserve rules include 30 percent and 60 percent floors

Circle wrote on October 1, 2026, that MiCA requires e-money token issuers to hold at least 30 percent of reserves as commercial bank deposits, with the floor rising to 60 percent for significant tokens, according to Yahoo Finance. The rule addresses reserve composition alongside the EBA's November 12, 2026, supervision of liquidity and redemption planning.

The regulatory change concerns the European issuer and its prudential safeguards. The EBA's classification also places USDC within the dual-supervision model described on October 14, 2026, with national and EU responsibilities divided across separate areas.

USDC market capitalization ranks sixth at 72.43 billion USD

USDC trades at 1.0009 USD as of October 16, 2026, according to Investing.com. The daily high is 1.0011 USD and the daily low for the UTC day is 1.0009 USD. The page lists a market capitalization of 72.43 billion USD at rank 6, 24-hour volume of 12.68 billion USD, and circulating supply of 72.42 billion USDC. The UTC daily close of October 15, 2026, is the reference basis for percentage comparisons.