Summary Circle Internet Group demonstrates impressive revenue growth, with Q2 2025 revenues up ~53% YoY and strong analyst projections through 2028. CRCL benefits from a scalable, asset-light, and predictable business model, primarily earning interest on cash and treasuries backing USDC tokens. The company enjoys regulatory advantages and a growing network effect, with USDC widely accepted and Circle holding key licenses in major jurisdictions. Despite these strengths, execution risks—especially high distribution costs from the Coinbase deal—lead to a pass on CRCL for now. My thesis on the Circle Internet Group ( CRCL ) is a pass on execution risks and major bottlenecks, like the higher distribution costs due to a lopsided Coinbase deal. If not for these execution risks, I may have considered ignoring macro pressures like a falling interest rate regime and even any elevated valuation concerns to go long on the secular tailwinds of growing stablecoin adoption. Why CRCL Could Have Been a Buy Revenue Growth Trajectory: Revenue growth has been impressive , with Q2 2025 revenues showing a ~53% YoY increase. This is not a flash in the pan. Topline growth was explosive in Q1 as well, with ~58% growth recorded compared to $365m in top line in March 2024. Analyst estimates point to continued high growth pushing the topline close to $7b annually by 2028, from a TTM revenue of ~$2.1b today. That is continued growth at a CAGR of ~40%, driven by an expanding USDC adoption expectation. Data by YCharts Scalable, Predictable Business Model: Since the primary revenue source is interest earned on cash and treasuries backing USDC tokens issued, the business model looks simple and has predictable cash flow and unit economics. As long as stablecoin usage expands, the business will be extremely scalable. The only cyclical element that is introduced in the business model is the interest rate dependency, but the unit economics are easy to track and predict, making investment decisions easier. Asset-Light Model: The business model revolves around managing digital dollar reserves instead of physical asset management. This means Circle has lower working capital and capex needs than traditional banks. The model is asset-light. Moat Like Position: Circle has several barriers to entry that can qualify as reasonable moats. In an environment of a better regulatory framework for stablecoins, Circle already has required regulatory approvals in the early phase of an evolving regulatory landscape. It has applied to the OCC, which will allow the company to operate as a federally regulated trust bank. Circle also has several licenses already in place to transact in Europe and Singapore. Even if the regulatory landscape eases out in the future, which may very well happen, early approvals and licenses will definitely help create a moderately durable regulatory lead for Circle. Enough lead to penetrate the markets and create a reasonable network effect. Signs of a robust networking effect are already in place with USDC's acceptance across a vast majority of major exchanges and a 500m+ user ecosystem . Early access to users and distribution channels are also going to take significant time for any new entrant to replicate. Market Position and Scale: The stablecoins market is dominated by Tether USDT, which now accounts for ~59% of the volumes. The USDC volume share was ~26% in April 2025 . The expanding TAM for stablecoins is looking like a very likely scenario with supportive regulatory regimes and maturing interest in alternative assets in the upcoming years. I am bullish on an explosive TAM expansion that could even accommodate some competition and a fall in market share for Circle. As of now, Circle is still a growing "number two" in stablecoins, behind Tether, and an expanding TAM is likely to keep the growth alive, even if market share gains are challenged through competition. Competition from PayPal, Ripple, and Robinhood launching stablecoins, or even new entrants in the future, could only be a real threat if the stablecoin TAM expansion thesis is threatened. In August 2025, for example, World Liberty Financial's USD1 showed an improved market share (still around 1% of the total ~$278b market size). While competition is hot and growing - USD1 had double-digit growth in August alone - the stablecoin market has also been growing at a healthy pace. In September, stablecoins completed 24 months of continued growth at a pace of ~3.5% per month. I expect the rate of adoption to only get even better. But even if the average monthly adoption growth happens at around the 3.5% mark (i.e., a 50% annual growth), USDC market share will need to drop from 26% to 17-18% to start clocking topline stagnation. In summary, Circle's growing profile, current market position, and a growing TAM leave enough room for competition effects to unfold. A ~58% topline growth is currently higher than the stablecoin market growth levels, showing that Circle is potentially making further inroads into the market. Those levels could still be impacted by competition, though, and that could have a say in valuation erosion, but current revenue levels have good support from the expanding TAM to prevent huge downsides even in the worst-case scenarios. Secular Tailwinds: Continuing on the TAM expansion bit, Circle's business will be well supported by secular tailwinds due to increased adoption of stablecoin in digital payments. Then there is scope for improving regulatory transparency, as discussed earlier, and even technology improvements (higher precision Blockchain networks, instant settlements, and integration with major payment platforms). What Concerns Me Interest Rate Cyclicality: Interest rate cuts will have a linear impact on topline and margins as we are entering a regime of lower rates. The specifics of how high for how long will be important to note. So will be how the secular stablecoin TAM growth offsets this drag. The estimated impact of the 25 bps rate cut is a ~$160m revenue loss for USDC annually, i.e., ~6% impact on the current run rate of ~$2.6b revenues. This impact will add up for every further rate cut. That is a lot to digest for the topline, even as it works through the growing secular adoption tailwinds. Distribution Costs: The revenue-sharing arrangement with Coinbase hurts Circle's margins by spiking up distribution costs. Coinbase was paid 56% of total revenues as distribution costs in 2024. This was because the contract demands a 100% interest income on USDC held in Coinbase and 50% on holdings elsewhere. This is obviously an initial arrangement helping USDC gain traction. The deal gets renewed in 2026, and whether Circle gets some leverage back at that point is dependent on several factors - some like how the negotiations will go, are hard to predict. As USDC adoption grows, one can expect Circle to hold some leverage in those negotiations, but whether that growth will be telling before the deal is renewed in 2026 is uncertain. The last numbers I see indicate around ~22% of USDC held in Coinbase. Over the next few quarters, either an absolute continued uptick in volume or a drop in that percentage held in Coinbase will help not only the margins directly but also negotiations when the deal is renewed. As an interested investor, I will watch out for progress in Circle's attempt to diversify distribution through banks, exchanges, and payment companies. However, the Coinbase relationship will remain critical for the foreseeable future, and the uncertainty there will be a drag on investor sentiment. Why I Can't Enter Circle When I started out on the thesis, I did find the distribution setup concerning, and after looking at the detailed pros and cons, I still see distribution costs as the obvious culprit and the primary factor that prohibits fresh entries at this stage. The interest rate pressures are real and concerning too, but they are more measurable and can be analyzed against valuation discounts in adverse rate environments for Circle. The competitive vulnerabilities are not huge, but all the negatives there can also be accounted for. The uncertainties of the distribution costs, on the other hand, are prohibitive for me, as I am unable to model my margin expectations without any long-term clarity there. In short, I can digest negatives, but not uncertainties. Not of the magnitude that critically affects margins and shows low wriggle room for Circle. Without indulging in long-term expectations, I am comfortable with valuations of ~10x revenues, allowing for a premium on the secular stablecoin growth story. I expect the current growth rate to be upheld for that to be justified. That is, the current revenue run rate of ~$2.6b reaches ~$4b over the next one year. With ~231m shares outstanding, that translates to a share price of ~$170 at a valuation of ~10x on revenues. Hence, valuations are not concerning, particularly after the recent drop in share prices. Even after accounting for lower interest rates, I see scope for $150 levels as well supported. Provided several execution milestones are met consistently, such as market share gains and consistent topline growth. Overall, I rate Circle as a Hold because its valuations may still be conducive now, but the distribution arrangements are critically uncertain. Till I get more clarity and confidence around that, I will remain on the sidelines. Otherwise, current valuations do account for a large part of the execution and rate risks for long-term investors. The margin expansion uncertainty needs to be addressed for Circle to become a Buy. This is because the premium 10x valuations cannot be held for long with no visible path for margin growth. Even continued topline growth for the next several quarters could be insufficient to support informed fresh Buys today.
