Benzinga - Circle Internet Financial, the firm behind the widely used USD Coin (CRYPTO: USDC) stablecoin, is reportedly exploring a transition into a publicly traded company as early as 2024.
Insiders who have elected to remain unnamed due to the private nature of their disclosures indicate the company is in the consultation phase, engaging with advisory entities regarding a potential IPO, Bloomberg reported.
These sources also note decisions are still in flux and there's no guarantee Circle will finalize plans for a public listing.
The discussions about Circle's public offering come at a time when the digital asset industry is under a microscope, a topic that will be a focal point at Benzinga's Future of Digital Assets conference on Nov. 14. As Circle contemplates its next steps, participants at the conference are primed to dissect the implications of such a significant move by a leading stablecoin issuer.
The company's valuation ambitions for an IPO remain undisclosed, yet in a previous attempt to enter the public market through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in 2022, Circle was pegged at a $9 billion valuation.
“Becoming a U.S.-listed public company has long been part of Circle’s strategic aspirations. We don’t comment on rumors,” stated a Circle spokesperson.
Circle's journey toward an IPO took a turn last year when it called off a merger with Concord Acquisition Corp., a SPAC helmed by Bob Diamond, the former CEO of Barclays Plc.
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Renowned for issuing one of the globe's largest stablecoins, Circle is backed by heavyweight investors such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS), General Catalyst Partners, BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK), Fidelity Management and Research, and Marshall Wace.
A 2022 funding round cited by Axios valued the company at $7.7 billion.
Circle's stablecoin operates as a pivotal tool for cryptocurrency traders, offering a dollar-pegged token that facilitates the transfer of digital assets across various exchanges.
Earlier in the year, the company faced a liquidity crisis with a $3.3 billion exposure to the defunct Silicon Valley Bank, leading to a temporary destabilization of its USD Coin.
In response to the need for transparency, Circle plans to publish its financial reports regularly and has appointed Deloitte as its auditor.
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