Circle Defends USDC Revenue Model Amid Open USD Competition
Circle addresses market dynamics by detailing its USDC revenue-sharing model in a new blog post.
Circle addresses market dynamics by detailing its USDC revenue-sharing model in a new blog post. USDC (USDC) is trading at $1.00. This is an original TLT brief based on reporting by Cryptopolitan, with live market data added, as of Sat, 17 Oct 2026 03:00:04 UTC.
The move highlights growing competition in the stablecoin market, with Circle emphasizing transparency to maintain USDC's market position against emerging rivals like Open USD.
- Circle published a blog post detailing its USDC revenue-sharing model with partners.
- The post comes amid competition from Open USD, which has been courting Circle's partners.
- USDC has a circulating supply of $72.74B, dwarfing OUSD's $825.46M.
- EU Banking Authority Takes Direct Oversight of Circle's USDC Stablecoin
- Circle Mints $750 Million USDC on Solana, Boosting Stablecoin Activity
- Circle Aims to Expand USDC Access in 40 New Markets
- Circle's USDC Hits $36T Transaction Milestone Amid $1.4B Revenue Surge
- Circle Defends USDC Revenue Model Amid Open USD Competition — this brief
On Friday, October 16, Circle published a detailed blog post explaining its approach to sharing 
USDC revenue with partners. The post, authored by Circle's chief commercial officer Kash Razzaghi, emphasizes the company's commitment to transparency and partnership in the stablecoin ecosystem.
Although the post does not explicitly mention 
Open USD, it is being interpreted as a strategic response to the rival stablecoin's recent efforts to court Circle's partners. The post's detailed explanation of USDC's revenue model aims to reassure existing and potential partners of the benefits of working with Circle.
The timing of the post is notable given the competitive landscape. Open USD has been actively engaging with Circle's partners, seeking to gain market share in the stablecoin sector. However, USDC's circulating supply of $72.74B significantly outweighs OUSD's $825.46M, indicating a substantial gap in market adoption.
In the broader market context, the total crypto market cap stands at $2.81T, with 
Bitcoin showing a slight 24-hour decline of 0.63%. Despite the overall market remaining relatively flat, the stablecoin sector continues to see active competition and strategic positioning by key players.
USDC is currently priced at $0.999796 with a 24-hour change of +0.02%, while OUSD is at $0.999678 with a 24-hour change of +0.03%. These figures suggest that while both stablecoins maintain their peg, the market dynamics are influenced by factors beyond immediate price movements.
Since this brief published about 8 hours ago, USDC (USDC) has moved from $0.9998 to $1.00 — +0.02%.
The chart plots USDC's price: grey is the move before this brief published, the vertical dashed line marks the moment it published, the horizontal dashed line is the price then, and the coloured area is the move since — from TLT's market data (daily resolution). It shows what happened after the news, not that the news caused it; many factors move prices. Not financial advice.
At today's peer-to-peer rate, 1 USDC ≈ ₦1,363.05 (about $1.00), up 0.1% over 24 hours. The naira itself trades about 2.3% above the official rate on the P2P market, so a Nigerian buyer's effective cost differs from the headline dollar price.
Live market data
Current prices for the assets in this story — live, source-stamped, updated every 15 minutes.
Figures and sectors in this story, checked live against on-chain aggregators · October 17, 2026.
TLT reads these figures directly from on-chain aggregators (DeFiLlama, mempool.space) at build time — independent of what any outlet reported. Sector totals aggregate every protocol DeFiLlama tracks in that category. Values are live and will change.
Circle Defends USDC Revenue Model Amid Open USD Competition — questions & answers
What did Circle reveal about its USDC revenue model?
Circle detailed how it shares revenue with partners, emphasizing transparency and partnership benefits.
Why is Circle's blog post significant?
The post is seen as a response to Open USD's efforts to court Circle's partners, highlighting competitive tensions.
How do USDC and OUSD compare in market size?
USDC has a circulating supply of $72.74B, while OUSD's is $825.46M, indicating a large gap in market adoption.
How much is 1 USDC worth in naira today?
About ₦1,363.05 at the live peer-to-peer (P2P) USDT rate, which is what Nigerians typically trade at — equivalent to roughly $1.00. The naira price moves with both USDC's US-dollar price and the USDT/NGN rate; use our USDC in naira page for any amount.
Which outlets reported this story?
This is an original TLT brief that synthesises reporting from Cryptopolitan. It is not a copy of any one article — follow the source links above for the original reporting.
Original summary — not financial advice. This is an original TLT brief that summarises a development reported elsewhere and adds live market data for context; it is not the original article and reproduces no part of it. Follow the source link above for full details. Crypto is volatile and high-risk — always do your own research.