Q4 made it clear that stablecoins are still the go-to safe haven.
Circle [USDC], the second-largest stablecoin with a market cap above $70 billion, demonstrated through its strong October–December 2025 performance just how it has strengthened its dominance in the market.
By the end of the quarter, $75.3 billion in USDC was in circulation (+72%), with transaction volume at $11.9 trillion (+247%) and total revenue of $770 million (+77%), underscoring its sustained growth and market dominance.
Source: TradingView (CRCL/USD)
The market reacted quickly.
Following Circle’s (NASDAQ: CRCL) Q4 earnings report, shares surged 35%, reclaiming levels lost in January amid the risk-off market environment and signaling renewed investor confidence.
The report was especially notable as Q4 marked one of the worst quarterly runs for crypto, with the market down over 20%, the largest decline since the 2022 bear market. In this environment, Circle’s strong USDC performance underscores its continued role as a market hedge.
At the same time, among L1s, Solana [SOL] leads in USDC liquidity. Given USDC’s strength, the key question becomes what this means for the network, especially in light of Michael Saylor’s recent bullish SOL outlook.
Circle’s USDC strength puts Solana in the spotlight
Blockchain integration in global finance just got another push.
Building on this, Michael Saylor recently highlighted the next phase of digital credit on blockchain, offering instant transactions and 24/7 trading, which in turn further narrows the gap between TradFi and DeFi.
Meanwhile, stablecoins like Circle’s USDC remain a core pillar of DeFi, providing the liquidity that powers these systems. In this context, Michael Saylor envisions the future of digital credit being deployed on Solana.
Source: DeFiLlama
On Solana, USDC controls nearly 53% of the $15.34 billion stablecoin market, making it a key driver of the network’s DeFi ecosystem. Recently, another $250 million USDC was minted, further cementing its influence.
In this context, Circle’s strong Q4 earnings matter: Record transaction volumes show that users widely adopt USDC, and its dominance on Solana gives the network the liquidity needed to support large-scale DeFi activity.
With this foundation, Saylor’s outlook on Solana gains real credibility.
Final Summary
- Circle’s strong Q4 earnings highlight USDC’s widespread use, reinforcing its role as a stable, reliable market hedge.
- USDC’s dominance on Solana gives the network deep liquidity, validating Michael Saylor’s bullish outlook on Solana as a platform for digital credit.