United States Dollar Coin (USDC) – Market Context and Recent Developments
USDC is a USD‑pegged stablecoin issued on multiple blockchain networks. As of 27 November 2025, its closing price was 0.999802 USD, slightly below its 52‑week high of 1.00496 USD on 9 October 2025 and above its 52‑week low of 0.996673 USD on the same date. The asset’s market capitalization stands at approximately 76.5 billion USD.
1. Pilot Universal Basic Income Program in New York
On 30 November 2025, Coinbase announced that it had funded a pilot universal basic income (UBI) program in New York City. In this initiative, 160 residents each receive 12 000 USDC over a five‑month period. The funds were donated to a nonprofit partner rather than being transferred directly from the Coinbase exchange. The program is positioned as a test of distributing stablecoin‑based cash transfers to low‑income participants.
2. Visa’s Expansion of USDC Settlement in CEMEA
Several news items between 27 and 29 November 2025 report that Visa has entered a partnership with Aquanow to roll out USDC‑based settlement services across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA). The collaboration enables banks and merchants in the region to process cross‑border transactions and internal settlements using USDC, leveraging Aquanow’s infrastructure. The partnership is described as a step toward integrating stablecoins into mainstream international banking.
3. Increasing USDC Circulation on Alternative Blockchains
Data released on 27 November 2025 indicates that USDC adoption is expanding beyond the Ethereum mainnet. On the XDC network, USDC circulation increased by 91 % over the preceding 30 days, according to Token Terminal. Other platforms such as Hyperliquid and Sonic have also reported growing USDC volumes, suggesting a broader trend toward distributed stablecoin usage across multiple chains.
4. Market Sentiment and On‑Chain Activity
A separate report on 27 November 2025 highlights significant on‑chain transfers of USDC linked to the Pumpfun platform. The volume of USDC moving to the Kraken exchange has raised concerns about potential dumping pressure on the stablecoin. While Pumpfun’s leadership contends that the transfers are routine treasury management, the episode has introduced a degree of uncertainty regarding large‑scale USDC outflows.
These developments collectively illustrate USDC’s continued role as a vehicle for both experimental socioeconomic projects (UBI pilot) and institutional payment infrastructure (Visa–Aquanow partnership), while also underscoring the importance of monitoring on‑chain activity that could influence market confidence.
