Circle(CRCL) - 2025 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - USDC in circulation grew 108% year-over-year to $73.7 billion, indicating strong market share expansion [8][23] - Total revenue and reserve income increased 66% year-on-year to $740 million, with adjusted EBITDA growing 78% year-on-year to $166 million, reflecting a 57% adjusted EBITDA margin [9][25] - Reserve return rate was 4.15%, down 96 basis points year-on-year due to a decline in SOFR [23] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Circle Payments Network (CPN) saw significant growth in transaction volumes, with over 100x growth in monthly total payment volume since its launch [21][20] - CCTP (Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol) volume grew approximately 640% year-over-year to $31.3 billion in Q3 [12][13] - Subscription and services revenue reached $23.6 million, primarily from blockchain network partnerships, with strong growth in underlying recurring revenues [24][83] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The stablecoin market continued to grow, with Circle's share increasing to 29% in Q3, up from 28% in the previous quarter [10][42] - Stablecoin transaction volumes grew approximately 130% year-over-year, with USDC's share expanding to 40% [11] - On-chain transactions using USDC grew 580% year-over-year to $9.6 trillion in Q3 [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Circle aims to build a full-stack Internet financial platform, focusing on blockchain networks, digital assets, and application utilities [5][8] - The company is exploring the launch of a native token on the Arc network to drive utility, incentives, and governance [10][18] - Circle continues to expand its stablecoin network across more chains, with five new chain launches and a total of 28 supported chains [10][19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the long-term growth of USDC circulation and the overall stablecoin market, driven by regulatory clarity and technological advancements [26][43] - The company is focused on building partnerships with quality participants to enhance the value of its network [32][60] - Management does not provide detailed quarterly guidance but has increased full-year guidance for other revenue to $90-$100 million [26][27] Other Important Information - The Arc public testnet launched with over 100 major participants from various sectors, indicating strong interest and collaboration [17] - The company has seen strong early momentum for Circle Payments Network, with a growing pipeline of financial institutions seeking to join [19][20] - Circle has closed three M&A deals this year, focusing on accelerating its core offerings rather than diversifying [68][69] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on Circle Payments Network (CPN) pipeline and monetization - Management highlighted the focus on quality participants and operational capabilities for CPN, emphasizing the importance of meaningful flows [30][32] - Monetization will focus on growing the network rather than extracting immediate value, with potential for small fees in the future [34][35] Question: Reaction to Fed's involvement in payments and crypto - Management expressed alignment with the Fed's view, stating that Circle's infrastructure is fundamental to the emerging on-chain financial system [40][41] Question: Market share gains and regulatory impact - Management noted that growth in market share is driven by regulatory clarity and advancements in technology, leading to increased adoption by major financial institutions [42][43] Question: Exploration of a native token for Arc - Management discussed the potential benefits of a native token for Arc, focusing on stakeholder incentives and governance [48][50] Question: Demand-side insights and M&A interest - Management indicated that strong direct liquidity and efficient capital movement are critical for firms looking to build on stablecoin payments [65][68] Question: Subscription revenue growth and transaction revenue decline - Management explained that subscription revenue growth is driven by blockchain partnerships, while the decline in transaction revenue was due to a spike in the previous quarter related to redemptions [84][85]