Coinbase or Ripple May Buy Out USDC Stablecoin Company

American company Circle, which issues the world's second-largest stablecoin, USDC (capitalization over $60 billion), officially filed for an IPO in April 2025. As Fortune has learned, it is also holding informal talks on the possible sale of the platform.

The list of potential buyers includes Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the US, and Ripple, the developer of the XRP token. According to sources, the value of Circle is estimated at no less than $5 billion, which makes the deal attractive for both parties. In turn, Circle representatives denied information about negotiations on the sale, but a source in the banking sector noted that if Coinbase makes an offer, they "will accept it without further ado."

This suggests that the IPO may be just part of a broader strategy to boost market value ahead of a possible deal.

Earlier, the crypto exchange Coinbase disclosed information about a massive leak of customer data, which was facilitated by the platform's support workers from abroad.