What Happens When You Build the Second-Largest Stablecoin in the World, But Someone Else Earns Most of the Profits?

That's exactly the situation that Circle finds itself in with $USDC. But while it's a bit awkward for Circle, $USDC's success highlights a major crypto win

What happens if you build the second-largest stablecoin in the world, with over $60B in market cap – but someone else earns most of the profits?

That’s exactly the situation that Circle finds itself in with $USDC.

But while it’s a bit awkward for Circle, $USDC’s success highlights a major crypto win, setting the stage for other new crypto to explode as the year progresses.

Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) receives 50% of the residual revenue generated from the reserves backing Circle’s $USDC stablecoin, according to a recent filing.

This revenue-sharing agreement is influenced by the amount of $USDC held on Coinbase’s exchange, directly impacting Coinbase’s share of Circle’s reserve income.

It’s a great deal for Coinbase, which made $908M off $USDC in 2024 and is one of the linchpins of the crypto economy with its established and upcoming token listings.

And it’s not a one-off for the exchange:

Coinbase’s total operating expenses for 2024 were $2.07B, while its earnings came in at $1.67B.

With that $155M net coming off total revenue of $1.67B, Circle is ready to go public.

Reports indicate a substantial minting of 250M $USDC at the USDC Treasury, signaling increased demand for the stablecoin.

Large-scale minting events often indicate heightened trading activity, growth in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, or increased institutional adoption within the cryptocurrency market.

In this case, the minting might be related to the big news that Circle filed on April 1, 2025 with the SEC to go public on the NYSE with the sticker CRCL.

Circle’s $USDC is making moves in other ways also. Sony just announced that the company will support $USDC purchases online in Singapore. Facilitated by Crypto.com’s payment system, the move is a big win for Circle and USDC as the company’s first local move into direct crypto payments.

It also highlights the positive outlook currently dominating the crypto scene. Several altcoins are poised to take advantage: here are three worth a closer look.

1. MIND of Pepe ($MIND) – Real-Time Intelligence, Hive-Mind Analysis, 289% Presale Staking

289% staking for MIND of Pepe ($MIND) during the presale – and the potential to radically change the AI agent scene after launch.

That’s a pretty appealing prospect for one of the hottest crypto presale and AI agent projects.

With $7.8M raised so far, the project intends to launch a fully-independent AI agent on X. The $MIND agent will learn from the smartest crypto analysts on X and generate game-changing intelligence – all exclusively for $MIND token holders.

The project positions $MIND for long-term success, with full control of 25% of the token supply and the ability to interact directly with the blockchain.

$MIND will even be able to launch its own tokens on Telegram, generating another exclusive offering for project participants.

You can learn more about how to buy MIND of Pepe and take a look at how and why we think $MIND could reach $0.00535 by the end of 2025. Tokens are currently priced at $0.0036524, so there’s room for big gains.

2. Best Wallet Token ($BEST) – Exclusive Presale Access for Leading Web3 Wallet

Poised to capture 40% of the non-custodial web3 wallet sector, Best Wallet Token ($BEST) takes a good wallet and makes it great.

$BEST token holders gain exclusive access to select crypto presales, plus lower transaction fees and increased staking rewards within the Best Wallet app.

Staking rewards currently stand at 135% APY; investors have already staked 196M $BEST so far.

Investors can earn points towards the Best Wallet token airdrop by registering and completing daily and one-time quests through the Best Wallet app and on the project’s social media.

Airdrops, staking, added utility – it’s all part of the reason we project that $BEST could reach $0.072 in 2025. Check out our guide on how to purchase Best Wallet token to learn more.

In the meantime, hit up the ongoing $BEST presale. The project has raised $11.5M so far with a token