What is USDC?

USD Coin (USDC) is a relatively fresh stablecoin pegged to the US dollar. It was launched on September 26, 2018, in collaboration between Circle and Coinbase. USDC is an alternative to other USD-backed cryptocurrencies like Tether (USDT) or TrueUSD (TUSD).

In a nutshell, USD Coin is a service to tokenize US dollars and facilitate their use over the internet and public blockchains. Besides, USDC tokens can be changed back to USD at any time. The execution of issuing and redeeming USDC tokens is ensured with ERC-20 smart contract.

Bringing US dollars on the blockchain allows moving them anywhere in the world within minutes, and brings much-needed stability to cryptocurrencies. Also, it opens up new opportunities for trading, lending, risk-hedging, and more.