USDC price holds near dollar as Circle reports stronger transaction activity
Published on 11/06/2026 at 13:00 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSUSDC usage grows beyond circulation
- USDC traded at 1.0012 USD at 12:37:49 Berlin time on November 6, 2026, according to Investing.com.
- Circle reported that USDC represented 79 percent of stablecoin transaction volume in the third quarter, up from 66 percent a year earlier.
- USDC on-chain transaction volume rose 49 percent year over year to 13.9 trillion USD, while quarter-end circulation was 73.9 billion USD.
- Circle says USDC is redeemable one-to-one for U.S. dollars and backed by highly liquid cash and cash-equivalent assets.
The USDC price remained close to its dollar peg on November 6, while new third-quarter data pointed to heavier use of Circle's dollar-backed stablecoin. Investing.com displayed USDC at 1.0012 USD at 12:37:49 Berlin time, with a reported market capitalization of 70.35 billion USD and 19.73 billion USD in 24-hour volume. The page did not provide a verifiable UTC closing basis for the previous day, so no daily percentage comparison is presented.
Transaction share rises sharply
According to MarketBeat's report published by Yahoo Finance, Circle said USDC accounted for 79 percent of stablecoin transaction volume in the third quarter, compared with 66 percent in the same period a year earlier. On-chain transaction volume reached 13.9 trillion USD, an increase of 49 percent from the prior-year quarter.
The figures describe transaction activity rather than the amount of USDC outstanding. Circle reported quarter-end circulation of 73.9 billion USD, approximately unchanged from a year earlier and up 1 percent sequentially. Average circulation was 73.3 billion USD, up 8 percent year over year but down 4 percent from the second quarter. That distinction matters for investors assessing whether growing payment activity is translating into sustained balances.
Stablecoin economics remain rate-sensitive
Circle's third-quarter revenue and reserve income totaled 865 million USD, including 182 million USD from an ARC token presale, according to the same report. Reserve income fell 8 percent year over year to 658 million USD, while the reserve return rate declined 61 basis points to 3.54 percent. These figures relate to Circle's issuer economics rather than a direct change in the USDC peg.
Circle also said its payments network had exceeded 58 billion USD in annualized volume by October 30. The company maintained its full-year guidance for other revenue of 310 million USD to 330 million USD and an RLDC margin of 41.7 percent to 43.7 percent. The ARC presale is included in that guidance, making the one-time contribution relevant when interpreting the reported growth.
Reserves and peg remain central
On its USDC website, Circle states that the token is redeemable one-to-one for U.S. dollars and backed by highly liquid cash and cash-equivalent assets. The company reported 71.0 billion USDC in circulation as of October 26, 2026, and says it publishes monthly reserve attestations by a Big Four accounting firm.
For market participants, the latest data therefore present a mixed but specific picture: USDC is retaining its dollar reference while its share of stablecoin transaction activity expands. At the same time, circulation growth has been more modest than transaction growth and reserve returns have weakened. The USDC topic page provides further coverage.
