Circle reveals cooperation in ongoing SEC investigation

Published at: Oct. 5, 2021

Circle, the company behind the world’s second-largest stablecoin USD Coin (USDC), has been subpoenaed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to a Monday regulatory filing from Circle, the SEC issued an “investigative subpoena” from its Enforcement Division in July.

Circle stated that it would be fully cooperating with the regulator after receiving the request:

“In addition, in July 2021, we received an investigative subpoena from the SEC Enforcement Division requesting documents and information regarding certain of our holdings, customer programs, and operations. We are cooperating fully with their investigation.”

The Circle filing is part of its plan to go public via a special-purpose acquisition vehicle through a merger with Concord Acquisition Corp, with the firm valued at $4.5 billion.

Circle issued an identical statement in an August filing amid the SEC’s investigations into its operation of former subsidiary Poloniex. That same month, Circle agreed to pay the SEC more than $10 million in fines for charges against Poloniex for operating as an unregistered cryptocurrency exchange.

Related: Coinbase removes ‘backed by US dollars’ claim for USDC stablecoin

In late July, Circle released a disclosure report revealing that 61% of USDC’s reserves were held in cash and cash equivalents and the remainder in commercial paper accounts, treasuries and bonds.

In early September, the SEC threatened to sue USDC-issuing Centre Consortium member Coinbase over a proposed lending product that would yield interest rates for select holders of USDC.

Tags
Regulation
Stablecoin
Usd Coin
Circle
Related Posts
Circle to invest in Japanese yen stablecoin as part of expansion to Asia
Circle, the United States-based issuer of USD Coin (USDC), has set its sights on thriving Asian crypto markets. In a move to strengthen its presence in Asia, Circle picked Singapore to establish a regional headquarters. The company is also setting up an investment arm called Circle Ventures, according to Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire’s interview with Bloomberg. The venture arm’s first investment will focus on a Japanese yen stablecoin. Allaire said the company sees substantial opportunities in the Asian markets, where he expects to see strong adoption of stablecoins in borrowing and lending markets. He added that the inflation environment and …
Regulation / Nov. 15, 2021
Stablecoin issuers hold more US debt than Berkshire Hathaway: Report
Stablecoin issuers like Tether (USDT) and Circle have accumulated a significant share in the United States Treasury market, outperforming major traditional finance players. Various stablecoin providers collectively held $80 billion worth of short-term U.S. government debt as of May 2022, according to a study by the investment bank JPMorgan, The Financial Times reported on Aug. 20. Tether, Circle and other stablecoin firms accounted for 2% of the total market for the U.S. Treasury bills, holding a bigger share of T-bills than totally owned by Warren Buffett’s investment giant Berkshire Hathaway. Stablecoin issuers have also outperformed offshore money market funds (MMF) …
Bitcoin / Aug. 22, 2022
Coinbase takes a shot at Tether, encourages users to switch to USDC
United States-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has asked its customers to convert their Tether-issued USDT (USDT) stablecoin to USD Coin (USDC), a USD-pegged stablecoin issued by Circle and co-founded by Coinbase in 2018. The cryptocurrency exchange suggested that USDC is a much more secure alternative in the wake of the FTX collapse saga and has also exempted any fee on the conversion of USDT to USDC on its platform. The firm said: “We believe that USD Coin (USDC) is a trusted and reputable stablecoin, so we’re making it more frictionless to switch: starting today, we’re waiving fees for global retail customers …
Regulation / Dec. 9, 2022
Circle denies blaming SEC for shuttered $9B plan to go public
A spokesperson for USD Coin (USDC) issuer Circle has denied reports that it blames the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over its failed $9 billion plan to go public in December. The stablecoin issuer representative was responding to a Jan. 25 Financial Times article which characterized Circle as having “blamed” the securities regulator for its “derailed” listing as a result of dragging its feet on the approval of a merger agreement. However, a Circle spokesperson clarified to Cointelegraph that was not the case and that it doesn’t hold any blame over the SEC for the termination of its …
Regulation / Jan. 26, 2023
Key takeaways from USDC $44.5 reserve report
USD Coin (USDC) issuer Circle has released an accountant-verified report of its treasury reserve holdings backing more than $44.5 billion worth of tokens currently in circulation. Circle’s December 2022 reserve report, which was reviewed by GrantThornton accountancy group, breaks down the current make-up of the stablecoin issuer’s reserve vault. According to Circle, 44,553,543,212 USDC is currently backed by $44,693,963,701 U.S. dollars held in custody accounts. It is worth noting that a significant portion of the latter amount is invested in a variety of U.S. Treasury bonds. As per Circle’s VP of accounting Timothy Singh, the fair value of assets in …
Regulation / Jan. 30, 2023