Binance Buys $100M Stake in Circle, Signs Five-Year USDC Promotion Deal

Binance purchased $100 million worth of Circle Internet Group stock and signed a five-year agreement to promote USDC, Circle disclosed in a regulatory filing on September 22, 2026. Binance paid $80.84 per share for 1,237,011 Class A shares, roughly 5% below Circle's September 17 closing price of $85.09. Both transactions closed on September 17. Under the commercial arrangement, Circle will pay Binance monthly fees tied to USDC balances held through its Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure in exchange for platform promotion. The deal supersedes agreements from November 2024 and August 2025, extending the partnership from two years to five. Binance is barred from selling, pledging, or hedging the shares for two years, though voting rights remain intact. Circle stock rose nearly 2% in premarket trading. USDC's market capitalization stands at approximately $75 billion.