USDC settles 36 trillion USD in first half: What it means for the USDC price
Published on 10/21/2026 at 07:31 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSUsage, oversight and market data
- During the first half of 2026, USDC settled more than 36 trillion USD onchain, Circle said on October 16, 2026.
- Circle reported more than 315 billion USD in USDC minting and redemption activity for that period.
- The USDC price stands at 1.0010 USD as of October 21, 2026, against the UTC daily close of October 20, 2026.
- European Banking Authority supervision of key USDC safeguards begins on November 12, 2026.
USDC (USDC) settled more than 36 trillion USD in onchain transaction volume in the first half of 2026, Circle said on October 16, 2026, in a report on the stablecoin's operating model. The report also said Circle minted and redeemed more than 315 billion USD of USDC during the same period. The USDC price stands at 1.0010 USD as of October 21, 2026.
Circle reports 36 trillion USD in settlement volume
Circle said on October 16, 2026, that USDC settled more than 36 trillion USD in onchain transactions during the first half of 2026. It also reported more than 315 billion USD in combined minting and redemption activity, equal to more than 1.7 billion USD per day in the period. The figures describe gross network and issuance activity rather than a direct measure of USDC market capitalization.
European oversight starts November 12, 2026
The European Banking Authority classified USDC on October 14, 2026, as the first significant e-money token among 45 tokens notified in the European Union under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, according to CryptoSlate. From November 12, 2026, the authority is scheduled to oversee own-funds, reserve, liquidity, recovery and redemption requirements for the European issuer. A separate supply signal came from TokenPost, which reported that Circle issued 9.7 billion USD of USDC and redeemed 10.5 billion USD through October 8, 2026.
USDC supply and reserve activity show two pressures
The October 8, 2026 figures imply that redemptions exceeded issuance by 800 million USD over the seven-day period described by TokenPost. Circle's October 16, 2026 settlement figures point to large transaction and issuance flows, while the supply data show that gross activity can coexist with a lower outstanding balance. The European classification adds a dated regulatory milestone on November 12, 2026, covering reserve and liquidity safeguards rather than changing the dollar peg.
USDC trades near its dollar target
According to Investing.com, USDC is 1.0010 USD as of October 21, 2026. The daily high is 1.0010 USD and the daily low for the UTC day is 1.0009 USD. Market capitalization is 72.15 billion USD, ranking USDC sixth, while 24-hour volume is 14.05 billion USD. Circulating supply is 72.16 billion USDC. The USDC price is therefore close to its 1.00 USD target, with the page showing a 0.01 percent change against the UTC daily close of October 20, 2026.
USDC by the numbers on October 21, 2026
- Cryptocurrency: USDC
- Ticker: USDC
- Price (as of October 21, 2026): 1.0010 USD
- Daily high / daily low (UTC day): 1.0010 USD / 1.0009 USD
- Market capitalization: 72.15 billion USD (rank 6)
- 24-hour volume: 14.05 billion USD
- Circulating supply: 72.16 billion USDC
- Next substantiated date: European Banking Authority supervision begins on November 12, 2026
