Fun

Circle shifts legal home to US ahead of IPO

News Feed - 2024-05-15 07:05:26

Josh O"Sullivan13 hours agoCircle shifts legal home to US ahead of IPOCircle’s strategic shift away from Ireland could increase compliance costs, but the tradeoff suggests improved investor confidence.963 Total views2 Total sharesListen to article 0:00NewsOwn this piece of crypto historyCollect this article as NFTJoin us on social networksCircle Internet Financial — the company behind the world’s second-largest stablecoin, USD Coin — announced its plans to move its legal base from the Republic of Ireland to the United States. The shift comes amid tightening cryptocurrency regulations in the United States.


According to Bloomberg, a spokesperson for Circle confirmed on May 14 that the company had filed court paperwork for the move, but the specific reasons were not disclosed.


The decision aligns with Circle’s recent step toward going public — it submitted plans for an initial public offering (IPO) confidentially through a brief press release in January.Legal implications 


In contrast to Ireland’s reduced levels of corporate taxation, the relocation of Circle’s legal base to the U.S. would incur higher tax rates.


However, these benefits are being cut due to global tax reforms led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 


After approval in October 2021, the OECD Global Anti-Base Erosion Rules came into force, clamping down on multinational enterprises (MNE) and issuing a minimum of 15% tax on MNE profits globally.


Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, has frozen billions of dollars of assets linked to hacks, exploits and scams. In an X post, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the firm has blocked more than $1.3 billion since it launched, with approximately $1.6 million related to terrorist financing.


In January 2022, Tether added three Ethereum addresses holding more than $150 million worth of USDT to its blacklist. In October 2022, Tether froze $8.2 million in USDT on Ethereum and added 215 Ethereum-based USDT addresses to its blacklist.


In late 2022, Tether had frozen over $360 million in assets. In October 2023, the stablecoin issuer froze $817,000 in USDT linked to terrorist activity in Ukraine and Israel. A month later, it froze $225 million in USDT linked to romance scammers.


The stablecoin issuer has also worked with 24 law enforcement agencies across more than 40 countries. The firm collaborated on 198 requests from law enforcement agencies to block wallets in the last 12 months and 339 in the last three years.


Related:Circle, Tether freezes over $65M in assets transferred from Multichain


Furthermore, moving back to the U.S. could subject Circle to a new U.S. regulatory framework and scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).


On the heels of its plans for an IPO, Circle would need to strictly adhere to securities laws as it traverses the muddy waters of SEC regulations. Despite the successful launch of Coinbase’s IPO in April 2021, the regulatory combat continues, as demonstrated by the ongoing Coinbase-SEC lawsuit.


Circle’s core business ventures revolve around its stablecoin, USD Coin (USDC), which has a market cap of almost $33 billion.


The decision to relocate is grounded in a logical rationale, as the necessity for U.S. regulatory compliance aligns closely with maintaining investor confidence.


Though compliance-related costs may be higher in the U.S., the pay-off is increased transparency and improved likelihood of adoption. The Internet Financial System


Following in the footsteps of Coinbase, Circle’s own IPO could grant USDC a competitive edge over its number-one spot competitor, Tether (USDT).


After flipping USDT monthly transactions in December 2023, an increase in regulatory compliance could solidify USDC’s position in the stablecoin market. 


Jeremy Allaire, the CEO and Co-founder at Circle, has already made his stance clear that the future of the “Internet Financial System” will not be a “bunch of closed government networks.” Source: Jeremy Allaire


Between relocating Circle’s legal base to the U.S., deciding to launch an IPO, and Allaire’s tweet articulating his perspective of a decentralized financial system, the strategic angle remains the same.


Circle appears to be aligning with Allaire’s vision through a series of strategic realignments, including achieving regulatory compliance, securing capital via going public and enhancing operational capacities, despite these efforts seeming disconnected.# Cryptocurrencies# Circle# United States# Stablecoin# USD Coin# RegulationAdd reaction

News Feed

Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC, ETH Enter August Trading Below $24,000 and $1,700 Respectively
Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC, ETH Enter August Trading Below $24,000 and $1,700 Respectively Bitcoin was trading marginally lower to start the week, as prices of the t
Crypto Economy Loses 3% Overnight, Bitcoin Slides Below $46K, Analyst Says ‘Downward Force Still Strong’
Crypto Economy Loses 3% Overnight, Bitcoin Slides Below $46K, Analyst Says "Downward Force Still Strong" The crypto economy has slid in value 2.9% during the last 24 hours and bitc
South Korea to Start Taxing Bitcoin Profits in 2021
South Korea to Start Taxing Bitcoin Profits in 2021South Korea will start taxing profits from bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies next year, according to local media reports.
Global Investment Bank Morgan Stanley Launches Dedicated Cryptocurrency Research Team
Global Investment Bank Morgan Stanley Launches Dedicated Cryptocurrency Research Team Global investment bank Morgan Stanley is establishing a new cryptocurrency research team. 
JPMorgan: 72% of Institutional Traders Surveyed ‘Have No Plans to Trade Crypto’
JPMorgan: 72% of Institutional Traders Surveyed "Have No Plans to Trade Crypto" A new survey by JPMorgan Chase shows that 72% of institutional traders “have no plans to trad
P2P.org partners with OKX to provide institutional staking services
Vince Quill7 hours agoP2P.org partners with OKX to provide institutional staking servicesThe staking services company and validator reported that it reached $7.5 billion in total value locked in April.944 Total views6 To
Marcel Pechman7 hours agoCME Bitcoin futures hit record high, but uncertainty looms above $36KCME Bitcoin futures hit a two-year high, but options market data reflects investors’ hesitancy.1651 Total views13 Total shar
This Week in Bitcoin: $8 Billion BTC Trust and Maximalists Misbehaving
This Week in Bitcoin: $8 Billion BTC Trust and Maximalists Misbehaving This Week in Bitcoin is your roundup of the prime talking points from across the cryptosphere. From the maj
As Trump Buys More Crypto, Could these Crypto Presales Mimic $WLFI?
US President Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial has embarked on yet another crypto buying spree. Yesterday it acquired $10M in $ETH, $10M in $WBTC, and $1.5M in $MOVE. As a project still in presale, $WLFI is making
Kardashian, Mayweather Jr., Lohan Slammed – Star From ‘The O.C.’ Says Celebrities Shilling Crypto Is a ‘Moral Disaster’
Kardashian, Mayweather Jr., Lohan Slammed - Star From "The O.C." Says Celebrities Shilling Crypto Is a "Moral Disaster" Former teen soap star from the popular television series &#x
Market Analyst Says ‘Whole Crypto Sphere Is in a Bear Market’ as Prices Continue to Slide Lower
Market Analyst Says "Whole Crypto Sphere Is in a Bear Market" as Prices Continue to Slide Lower The crypto-economy has been sliding in value this week and during the last 24 hours,
Ana Paula Pereira5 hours agoFinancial privacy and regulation can co-exist with ZK proofs — Vitalik ButerinA new paper co-authored by Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin highlights the use of zero-knowledge proofs as a tool fo