Cointelegraph is committed to providing independent, high-quality journalism across the crypto, blockchain, AI, and fintech industries.All news, reviews, and analyses are produced with full journalistic independence and integrity. For more details on our standards and processes, please read our Editorial Policy.

Cointelegraph is committed to providing independent, high-quality journalism across the crypto, blockchain, AI, and fintech industries.All news, reviews, and analyses are produced with full journalistic independence and integrity. For more details on our standards and processes, please read our Editorial Policy.

Analysts at Bernstein are bullish on stablecoin issuer Circle, arguing that a new growth cycle for its USDC stablecoin could provide a significant boost for the company over the next 12 months.In a research note published Monday, Bernstein said USDC (USDC) is showing signs of what it called “digital dollar reflation” after its supply increased by roughly $2 billion in seven days, reversing a six-month stretch of stagnant or declining growth. The firm maintained an Outperform rating on Circle (CRCL) and a $140 price target, implying roughly 60% upside from current levels. Circle shares have risen roughly 40% over the past month.Bernstein said the next phase of stablecoin growth could be driven by several factors, including renewed momentum in crypto markets, greater regulatory clarity in the United States, tokenized capital markets and growing adoption of stablecoins for payments. The analysts also pointed to early signs of stablecoin use in payments made by artificial intelligence agents.Although USDC remains the second-largest dollar-backed stablecoin by market capitalization, well behind Tether’s USDt (USDT), it has gained significant ground in transaction activity. Bernstein said USDC’s share of adjusted stablecoin transaction volume rose from roughly 40% in 2025 to more than 60% so far in 2026, overtaking USDt by that measure.Stablecoin transaction volume has grown significantly this year. Source: BernsteinRelated: MiCA is coming for DeFi vaults, but regulation will be difficultCircle’s volatile path since its IPOCircle shares have experienced significant swings since the company went public in June 2025. The stablecoin issuer priced its shares at $31 and raised roughly $1.1 billion in its initial public offering. After surging in the months following its debut, the stock had fallen back toward its IPO price by November 2025 as a broader crypto market downturn weighed on publicly traded companies with exposure to the sector.In its most recent quarter, Circle reported $701 million in revenue and $48 million in net income, both up from a year earlier.Related: Western Union brings stablecoin remittances to Visa network with StablecardCointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.

Stand With Crypto, an advocacy organization launched by Coinbase in 2023, endorsed 32 candidates for House of Representatives seats ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections based on their digital asset policy views. In a Monday notice, Stand With Crypto said its slate of 32 candidates for the 2026 midterm elections was part of efforts to influence digital asset policy in the federal government. The organization said it had endorsed politicians who were “proven digital asset policy champions,” also targeting competitive races “where Stand With Crypto advocate numbers are most likely to influence outcomes.”“Crypto Voters have become a durable, motivated voting bloc, which has the potential to swing key congressional races in the midterms,” said Stand With Crypto executive director Mason Lynaugh, adding:“The midterms come at a key inflection point for crypto policy in Washington, D.C. As candidates from both parties are trying to reach voters outside of more traditional constituencies, they overlook Crypto Voters at their own peril.”The move comes as some experts expect crypto policy to be a potential swing issue for voters in many close elections. Stand With Crypto announced six candidates for its first group of endorsements in March — three Republicans and three Democrats — all of whom advanced from their primaries to compete in the November election.Related: Ripple- and Coinbase-funded PAC spends $2M in Florida race with little mention of cryptoDuring the 2024 election cycle, organizations and political action committees (PACs) backed by crypto companies spent more than $170 million supporting candidates they considered to favor the industry, many of whom went on to win their races. Stand With Crypto said that more than 270 “pro-crypto“ candidates were sent to Congress in 2025, potentially influencing votes on legislation like the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act.CLARITY vote still waiting for Senate’s returnThe makeup of the next US Congress in both the House and Senate could potentially impact whether a comprehensive crypto market structure bill becomes law. Although the House passed the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act with bipartisan support in July 2025, the Senate’s consideration of the legislation has been marked by discussions over ethics, tokenization and stablecoin rewards.CLARITY is scheduled for a cloture motion once the Senate returns from recess on Sept. 15, but the chamber will only have 14 days in session before breaking before the November election. After the midterms, the Senate will have another 22 days before 2027 to return the bill to the House, after which it could then head to the president’s desk for approval.Last week, President Donald Trump stood alongside several crypto CEOs and executives, urging the Senate to pass a “fair version” of CLARITY. However, the Trump family’s financial ties to the industry could complicate a potential vote, with a majority of Americans calling the crypto investments not “appropriate” in a recent poll.Magazine: Bitget CEO isn’t buying the Bitcoin rally — She’s waiting for $50K

Coinbase’s tokenized US stocks went live on Base Monday, alongside a Chainlink integration providing price data to support their use across decentralized finance applications.Chainlink Data Feeds will provide continuous pricing for Coinbase’s tokenized stocks, including Nvidia, Apple, Meta and Alphabet. The data allows DeFi protocols to integrate the assets into lending markets, decentralized exchanges and structured products, including as collateral for borrowing.According to Chainlink’s documentation, the feeds value each token using the underlying stock price and a Coinbase-supplied multiplier that accounts for dividends and corporate actions.The stocks are issued as B20 tokens natively on Base, Coinbase’s layer-2 blockchain, and are available to non-US users in eligible jurisdictions. Each token represents a direct claim on an underlying share held with regulated broker and custodian Alpaca under an Abu Dhabi Global Market-supervised structure, according to Base. The tokens can be held in self-custody wallets and traded around the clock.Base said the stocks can be integrated with existing DeFi infrastructure, including using tokenized Nvidia shares as collateral for loans on Aave or supplying tokenized Apple shares to decentralized exchanges. More Coinbase tokenized stocks are expected to launch on Base in the coming weeks.The news comes as the broader market for tokenized equities continues to grow. The total value of tokenized stocks has reached about $2.48 billion, up 5.2% over the past 30 days, according to RWA.xyz data. Monthly transfer volume has climbed to $27.28 billion, while the number of holders has surpassed 2.1 million.Tokenized stocks. Source: RWA.xyzMagazine: Bitget CEO isn’t buying the Bitcoin rally — She’s waiting for $50KCointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.