Circle has sold 1,237,011 Class A shares to Binance at a price of $80.84 per share. This private placement, which closed on September 17, raised $100 million for the stablecoin issuer. Binance is restricted from selling, transferring, or hedging these shares for a period of two years following the transaction.
The equity deal coincides with a five-year commercial partnership. Under the agreement, Circle will pay Binance a monthly incentive fee based on the volume of USDC held through its Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure. In exchange, Binance has committed to promoting the stablecoin across its platform.
This arrangement replaces previous agreements established in November 2024 and August 2025. The current deal follows the launch of Arc, a Layer 1 network developed by Circle in collaboration with partners including BlackRock, DTCC, and Visa, where USDC serves as the gas token.
While the shares were purchased at a discount relative to the market price on September 17, the stock closed at $94.49 by September 21. This valuation puts the current worth of Binance's stake at approximately $116.9 million, though the exchange cannot realize these gains due to the holding restrictions.
