Circle Extends Rally With 15% After-Hours Jump on USDC Surge and Policy Tailwinds

Overview

• CRCL rose about 15% after hours to roughly $96, lifting gains to roughly 60%–71% since its late‑February earnings report.
• Q4 revenue climbed 77% to about $770 million as USDC circulation rose 72% to $75.3 billion, with on‑chain transactions up 247% to $11.9 billion.
• Circle maintained guidance for roughly 40% compound growth in USDC and projected $150 million to $170 million in other 2026 revenue, citing products like Arc and progress on a national trust bank.
• Regulatory focus intensified after the OCC outlined its GENIUS Act implementation for public comment, with proposed limits on stablecoin rewards that policy watchers say could affect exchange programs.
• Analysts cited short covering, AI‑era payments positioning, and rate‑sensitive reserve income as drivers; Mizuho lifted its price target to $100, and an SEC filing showed the CFO sold shares under a 10b5‑1 plan on Feb. 26.