Binance has acquired a $100 million stake in stablecoin issuer Circle. The transaction, completed on September 17, involved the issuance of 1,237,011 shares of Class A common stock at a price of $80.84 per share. This private placement was executed at a discount relative to the market price of Circle shares at the time.
The investment is part of a new five-year partnership aimed at promoting the USDC stablecoin on the Binance platform. Under the terms of the deal, Circle will provide Binance with monthly incentive fees calculated based on the volume of USDC held via Circle’s Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure. Binance has also committed to additional promotional activities for the asset.
The agreement includes a lockup period during which Binance is prohibited from selling, transferring, or pledging the acquired shares for up to two years. Binance will maintain voting rights during this period, though the restriction may be lifted early if the commercial partnership is terminated under specific conditions. The deal replaces previous agreements from November 2024 and August 2025.
