$306B Stablecoin Market: Circle Sets 2026 Push for Institutional Adoption
Circle Internet Group plans to focus on building long-term infrastructure in 2026 to help more companies and financial institutions...
Quick overview
- Circle Internet Group plans to enhance its infrastructure in 2026 to facilitate the use of stablecoins by companies and financial institutions.
- The company aims to transition its Arc blockchain from testing to operational status, focusing on reliability and interoperability with other systems.
- Circle intends to expand the usability of its stablecoins, including USDC and EURC, by improving their functionality across major blockchains.
- With stablecoins gaining traction, Circle is committed to growing its payments network and simplifying blockchain interactions for institutions.
Circle Internet Group plans to focus on building long-term infrastructure in 2026 to help more companies and financial institutions use stablecoins. This decision follows stablecoins reaching over $300 billion in market value and clearer regulations in the U.S.
In a blog post on Thursday, Circle’s Chief Product and Technology Officer Nikhil Chandhok said the company will work on growing its payments network and moving Arc, its blockchain for institutions, from testing to being ready for real use.
Circle’s plan is to make stablecoins easier to use for large groups, so institutions can use digital dollar payments without having to build or manage their own blockchain systems.
Arc Blockchain Moves Toward Production
Arc is built for big financial institutions, focusing on reliability, programmability, and working well with other systems. Circle also wants to connect Arc more closely with other blockchains and add stablecoin support to more networks.
Circle also plans to make its stablecoins—USDC, EURC, USYC, and tokens from partners—more useful by improving how they work on major blockchains. Chandhok said the aim is to help institutions use stablecoins more easily in their daily business.
Circle’s main infrastructure goals are:
- Expanding USDC and EURC to more blockchains
- Making Arc work better with current networks
- Making it easier to transfer and settle across different blockchains
- Improving tools for developers and making things easier for institutional users
Institutions Drive Stablecoin Momentum
Stablecoins became one of the busiest parts of crypto in 2025, thanks to new U.S. laws and more banks and financial institutions looking into launching their own stablecoins.
Circle wants to grow its payments network so institutions can use stablecoin payments directly, without having to build their own systems. The company is also working to make using different blockchains simpler for businesses.
Chandhok said Circle will keep growing its network of partners and developers to make stablecoins more useful, reach more places, and support more real-world uses.
USDC Holds $70B Share in $306B Market
USDC is now the second-largest U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, with over $70 billion in circulation, according to DefiLlama. Tether’s USDT is still the leader, with more than $186 billion.
USDT and USDC together lead a stablecoin market worth over $306 billion. The market passed $300 billion for the first time in October, mainly because of USDT, USDC, and Ethena Labs’ yield-bearing stablecoin, USDe.
Circle sees its focus on infrastructure as the base for the next stage of growth in institutional stablecoins.
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