# Binance Commits $100M Stake in Circle With New USDC Pact

*Author: William Peaster*
*Published: Sep 22, 2026*
*Source: https://www.bankless.com/read/news/binance-commits-100m-stake-in-circle-with-new-usdc-pact*

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Binance is now a Circle shareholder. The exchange scooped up $100M worth of CRCL stock via private placement, per a [Tuesday SEC filing](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1876042/000187604226000276/crcl-20260917.htm), and inked a fresh 5-year deal to push USDC to its users, with a big focus on emerging markets. 

> [ — (@)
> ](https://twitter.com/circle/status/2102367809082909123)

## **What’s the Scoop?**

- **The stake:** Binance got roughly 1.24M Class A shares at $80.84 apiece, a 5% haircut to CRCL's pre-closing price. The sale closed Sept. 17th. Binance is locked in for up to two years, with no selling or hedging allowed, but it can still vote its shares. 

- **Payouts:** Circle will pay Binance a monthly fee pegged to a cut of the USDC that users park in wallets running on Circle's Modular Smart Contract Wallet tech. It's the third USDC tie-up between the two since late 2024, superseding both earlier deals, and both companies have escape hatches if certain triggers hit. 

- **Big picture:** Paying distributors to hold USDC is standard stablecoin strategy now. Adding equity to the mix gives Binance a stake in Circle's whole stack, Arc included, not just the token. The news lands days after Circle took its [Arc L1 live on mainnet](https://www.bankless.com/read/circles-arc-mainnet-goes-live), and Binance co-CEO Richard Teng namechecked Arc in announcing the investment.
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