USD Coin (USDC) is a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, launched in September 2018 by the Centre consortium, created by Circle and Coinbase.

Circle is an American company founded in 2013, specializing in the provision of payment services and the development of blockchain technologies. It received the first BitLicense from the New York State Department of Financial Services in September 2015 and the first electronic money license in the UK in April 2016.

Coinbase is one of the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, providing services for buying, selling and storing digital assets. In October 2018, Coinbase and Circle announced the creation of the Centre consortium to issue USDC.

In August 2023, Coinbase acquired a stake in Circle, after which Circle received full control over the issuance and management of the USDC stablecoin. USDC is scheduled to launch on six new blockchains in September-October 2023.

Thus, Circle and Coinbase played a key role in the creation and development of USDC, ensuring its stability and transparency for users.