Stablecoin

Circle's CRCL shares rose about 15% after it disclosed a $222M presale for Arc, a new Layer-1 aimed at institutional stablecoin settlement, valuing Arc at a $3Bn fully diluted valuation. The raise includes commitments from firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, BlackRock, Apollo Funds, Intercontinental Exchange, SBI Group, and others, as Circle navigates a pre-IPO quiet period.

TechGaged has introduced a continuously updated 2026 Cryptocurrency Statistics Report that assesses how the digital-asset market has changed after the 2025 cycle. The resource compiles market-structure analysis, adoption and trading indicators, plus risk metrics, and is positioned as a fact-checking and research aid for journalists, researchers, investors, and other market participants.

On May 12, 2026, Circle Internet Group disclosed it had completed a $222 million presale for its Arc (ARC) blockchain token, implying a $3 billion fully diluted valuation for the stablecoin-native Layer 1 network. Circle said it sold 740 million ARC at $0.30 each and reported Q1 2026 results including $694 million revenue and $151 million adjusted EBITDA, while targeting a mainnet beta in summer 2026.

A bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers will meet behind closed doors on May 14, 2026, to debate proposed changes to crypto taxation, including rules for staking, trading, and small payments. The discussion centers on the Digital Asset PARITY Act, which would allow staking taxes to be deferred for up to 5 years and remove capital gains tax on qualifying stablecoin purchases under $200. The meeting is scheduled for the same day the Senate Banking Committee is set to vote on the CLARITY Act.

USDC activity on Ethereum (ERC20) cooled sharply as the 7-day SMA of active addresses fell from 197,265 on March 21, 2026 to 118,600 on April 23, before recovering to 145,114 by May 8. As of May 12, total ERC20 USDC supply stood at 54.4B and exchange reserves were 14.7B, framing the rebound as partial rather than a return to peak engagement.

A revised Senate Banking Committee crypto market structure draft released on May 12 includes an unexpected housing proposal, with pages 300–309 outlining the “Build Now Act.” The text also updates provisions on stablecoin rewards and keeps BRCA protections for non-custodial developers, as the bill heads toward a Senate markup vote later this week.

The Senate Banking Committee released an updated, 309-page version of its Clarity Act around midnight Monday and is planning a markup later this week. The text incorporates revised restrictions around stablecoin rewards and includes language aimed at protecting non-custodial software developers, while leaving unresolved debates over ethics provisions tied to federal officials' crypto interests.

Crypto.com said on May 11 that its UAE entity, Foris DAX Middle East FZE, received a Central Bank of the UAE stored value facilities (SVF) license, allowing government fees to be paid using virtual assets via its Dubai Department of Finance partnership. The company said settlements will be completed in UAE dirhams or CBUAE-approved dirham-backed stablecoins, and that the authorization also supports planned payment integrations with Emirates Airlines and Dubai Duty Free.

Coinbase said on May 11, 2026 that it posted a first-quarter net loss of $394.1 million after a crypto market slide reduced trading revenue and lowered the value of digital assets held on its balance sheet. Total revenue fell 31% year over year to $1.41 billion, with transaction revenue down 40% to $756 million, while stablecoin revenue rose 11% to $305 million.

Ark Invest bought about $5.5 million of Circle Internet Group stock across ARKK, ARKW and ARKF on Monday, totaling 41,904 shares. Circle closed up 15.91% at $131.76 the same day after reporting Q1 2026 results, including $694 million in revenue and $55 million in net income.