# Circle signs five-year Binance agreement with $100 million investment > Binance has invested $100 million in Circle alongside a five-year agreement to expand USDC access across emerging markets. The deal ties an equity investment to Binance commitments to promote and integrate the stablecoin. - Publication: Go Big News - By Nifal Adam, Go Big News Staff (Staff News) - Category: Finance - Published: 2026-09-23T17:56:19.921+00:00 - Canonical: https://www.gobignews.com/finance/circle-signs-five-year-binance-agreement-with-100-million-investment --- [Circle](https://circle.com) said Binance has made a $100 million strategic investment as the companies enter a five-year commercial agreement focused on expanding USDC access across emerging markets. The private placement, dated September 17, 2026, issued 1,237,011 Class A common shares at $80.84 each, according to an [SEC filing](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001876042/000187604226000276/crcl-20260917.htm). The shares were priced at a 5% discount to CRCL's market price before closing. They carry a two-year transfer restriction, subject to customary exceptions. Under the commercial agreement, Binance will accelerate USDC promotion, awareness and integration on its platform. Circle will provide infrastructure services for holding and using the stablecoin, according to the [company's release](https://www.circle.com/pressroom/binance-invests-100-million-in-circle-expands-strategic-partnership-and-renews-commercial-agreement-for-five-years). The arrangement pairs a capital investment with a distribution commitment for USDC in emerging markets. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said the companies see USDC as a way to expand dollar access and support savings and investment through digital-asset products. Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said a trusted digital dollar should be available to people with a phone. As of September 21, 2026, Circle reported $74.6 billion of USDC in circulation. The company said USDC is available through more than 500 million end-user wallet products across more than 185 countries and is natively issued on 38 blockchains. Circle says USDC is fully backed by cash and cash-equivalent reserves, held primarily in the Circle Reserve Fund. The SEC-registered government money market fund is managed by BlackRock and custodied at Bank of New York Mellon, with monthly attestations from a Big Four accounting firm. Circle, founded in October 2013 by Allaire and Sean Neville, is headquartered in New York City. Tether's USDT remains the largest stablecoin by market capitalization, while Visa's onchain data for the first half of 2026 showed USDC accounting for about 70% of adjusted stablecoin transaction volume, compared with roughly 25% for USDT. Circle announced the news in a post on X. --- ## Companies in this story - Circle: https://www.gobignews.com/company/circle --- ## X profiles in this story - @binance: https://www.gobignews.com/profile/binance - @circle: https://www.gobignews.com/profile/circle