Binance Expanded partnership with Circle's USDC to invest $100 million in equity

Binance US$100 million equity investment in Circle, issuer of the stablecoin , with both parties signing a five-year promotion agreement

According to documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday, Circle issued 1,237,011 Class A shares of common stock at $80.84 per share through a private offering to Binance on September 17, for a total transaction value of approximately $100 million. The acquisition is part of an expanded partnership between the two companies that includes a five-year agreement signed by both parties to promote use of USDC on Binance platforms.

Private equity prices below market, stock price rises

Documents show that the subscription price of $80.84 was lower than Circle's market price prior to closing, when Binance shares were acquired at a certain discount. According to Yahoo Finance data, CRCL stock closed Monday at $94.29 per share and gained more than 1.3% in pre-close trading on Tuesday.

Payment of Incentive Fee by Holding, Binance Committed to Promote USDC

According to the partnership agreement, Circle will pay Binance monthly incentive fees based on the number of USDC s it holds through its modular smart contract wallet infrastructure. At the same time, Binance has also committed to carry out more promotional activities related to USDC .

Shares with two-year lock, Binance voting rights reserved

Binance agrees not to sell, transfer or mortgage any of the shares in Circle held by staking for up to two years. This limitation period may end earlier if a commercial agreement is terminated under certain conditions.

The new agreement replaces the old one, which can be terminated early by either party.

This arrangement replaces the agreements reached by both parties in November 2024 and August 2025. The new agreement is for a period of five years, but can be terminated earlier by either party under certain circumstances.

It is also reported that Circle has launched the Arc mainnet with USDC as its native Gas token .