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Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2026
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation | Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”) and the applicable rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial information. Certain information and disclosures normally included in the annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been omitted. Accordingly, the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on March 9, 2026. There have been no changes to our significant accounting policies described in the audited Consolidated Financial Statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2025 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K that have had a material impact on our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. The Company consolidates entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation.
Reclassifications | Reclassifications Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified in order to conform with the current period presentation. The impact of these reclassifications is immaterial to the presentation of the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements taken as a whole and had no impact on previously reported total assets, total liabilities and net income.
Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The preparation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and disclosures in the accompanying notes. Significant estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change relate to the fair value of stock-based awards issued prior to the IPO, the fair value of convertible debt, the fair value of derivatives and embedded derivatives, the fair value of investments under measurement alternative, the assessment of the amount and likelihood of adverse outcomes from claims and disputes, the valuation of intangible assets acquired in business combinations, including goodwill and acquisition-date deferred taxes, contingent liabilities, and the recognition and measurement of current and deferred income taxes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions which we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. These estimates may change as new events occur and additional information becomes available. Actual amounts or results could differ from these estimates and any such differences may be material to the financial statements. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited Consolidated Financial Statements, and in management’s opinion, reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal, recurring adjustments, that are necessary for the fair presentation but are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the full year or any other period.
Cash and Cash Equivalents | Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents are cash and short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase. The Company holds certain U.S. Treasury securities included in Cash and cash equivalents and accounts for them as financial assets under the fair value option pursuant to ASC 825, Financial Instruments, because the Company believes that measurement at fair value provides more useful information to financial statement users due to the short-term, highly liquid nature of the securities.
Assets Segregated for the Benefit of Stablecoin Holders | Assets Segregated for the Benefit of Stablecoin Holders The Company segregates assets backing Circle stablecoins to satisfy its obligations under all applicable regulatory requirements and commercial laws and classifies these assets as current based on their purpose and availability to fulfill its direct obligation to customers. The Company holds only bare legal title in the accounts holding the reserve funds, and maintains no legal, equitable, financial or ownership interest over the reserves themselves held for the benefit of Circle stablecoin holders in such accounts. The Company’s eligible liquid assets were greater than the aggregate amount of custodial funds due to customers for the periods presented. Refer to Deposits from Stablecoin Holders in this note for further details. Cash and cash equivalents segregated for the benefit of stablecoin holders and Cash and cash equivalents segregated for corporate-held stablecoins Cash and cash equivalents segregated for the benefit of stablecoin holders and Cash and cash equivalents segregated for corporate-held stablecoins represent cash and cash equivalents maintained in segregated accounts that are held for the exclusive benefit of customers and stablecoin holders, including stablecoins held by the Company. The Company’s subsidiaries hold shares in the Circle Reserve Fund (the “Fund”), a money market fund managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The securities purchased by the Fund are subject to the quality, diversification, and other requirements of Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Shares of the Fund are only available for purchase by certain subsidiaries of the Company. The Company accounts for the Fund as a financial asset under the fair value option pursuant to ASC 825, Financial Instruments, because the Company believes that measurement at fair value provides more useful information to financial statement users due to the short-term, highly liquid nature of the Fund. The shares of the Fund would otherwise be accounted for under the equity method pursuant to ASC 323, Equity Method and Joint Ventures, if the Company had not elected the fair value option. The Company measures fair value at the Fund’s net asset value per share. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, balances held in the Fund included in Cash and cash equivalents segregated for the benefit of stablecoin holders were $66.5 billion and $66.3 billion, respectively, and the Fund has maintained a net asset value of $1.00 per share for all periods presented. In connection with the Fund, dividends receivable are included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and dividend income is included in Reserve income in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Digital Assets | Digital Assets The Company receives, purchases, utilizes, and sells digital assets in the ordinary course of business and holds certain digital assets as investments. Digital assets are measured at fair value based on quoted market prices in active markets. If no quoted market price is available, digital assets are measured at fair value using a cost approach or other comparable approach. Changes in fair value of digital assets held in the ordinary course of business are recognized in Digital assets losses (gains) in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Changes in fair value of digital assets held as investments are recognized in Other income (expense), net in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. Gains and losses upon sale of digital assets are measured as the difference between the cash proceeds and the carrying basis of the digital assets as determined on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis for each pool of digital assets. These realized gains and losses on digital assets held in the ordinary course of business are recorded to Digital assets losses (gains), and realized gains and losses on digital assets held as investments are recorded to Other income (expense), net.
Deposits from Stablecoin Holders | Deposits from Stablecoin Holders Funds received from customers from the issuance of Circle stablecoins represent claims which are reflected as a liability classified as Deposits from stablecoin holders on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. As a licensed money transmitter and regulated Electronic Money Institution, Circle is obligated to redeem all Circle stablecoins presented by Circle Mint customers on a one-for-one basis for U.S. dollars or euros, as applicable, except in limited circumstances, such as when prohibited by law or court order or instances where fraud is suspected. As such, the Company does not have an unconditional right to deny Circle stablecoin redemption requests from Circle Mint customers. With the exception of general stablecoin holders subject to specific regulatory requirements such as those in the European Union, the Company does not redeem Circle stablecoins from stablecoin holders who are not Circle Mint customers. However, Circle stablecoins are supported by numerous global digital asset exchanges and marketplaces, including neo-banks, brokerages, payment providers, remittance providers, superapps and commerce companies, and as such, Circle stablecoin holders could transact with Circle Mint customers, ultimately allowing the Circle stablecoins to be redeemed. Deposits from stablecoin holders do not include amounts associated with corporate-held stablecoins. Cash associated with such corporate-held stablecoins is presented as Cash and cash equivalents segregated for corporate-held stablecoins on the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. When the Company makes payments in the form of corporate-held stablecoins, the Company records an associated Deposits from stablecoin holders and records the cash associated with such stablecoins as Cash and cash equivalents segregated for the benefit of stablecoin holders. When such payments, in the form of corporate-held stablecoins, are for distribution, transaction and other costs or operating expenses incurred, the payments are presented in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows in the same manne r as if such payments were settled in cash. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Company’s eligible liquid assets, which consist of cash and cash equivalents, were greater than the aggregate amount of custodial funds due to stablecoin holders.
Stock-Based Compensation | Stock-Based Compensation Until the date on which our IPO registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on June 4, 2025, the Company provided stock options and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to its employees and board members under the 2024 Share Award Plan, as amended, which assumed the obligations under the 2013 Share Award Scheme. The Board and our stockholders approved and adopted the 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan and 2025 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) which became effective on June 4, 2025 concurrent with the effectiveness of our IPO registration statement. The 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan provides for the granting of stock options including incentive stock options (“ISOs”), nonqualified stock options (“NSOs”), share appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock, RSUs, performance awards, other cash-based awards and other share-based awards. The number of shares available for grant and issuance under the 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan is automatically increased on the first day of each fiscal year of our Company following the effective date of the Plan by a number equal to the lesser of (i) 5% of the aggregate number of shares of all classes of our common stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year; and (ii) the number of shares determined by the Compensation Committee in its discretion. The number of shares available for grant and issuance under the ESPP is automatically increased on the first day of each fiscal year of our Company following the effective date of the Plan by a number equal to the lesser of (i) 1% of the aggregate number of shares of all classes of our common stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year; and (ii) the number of shares determined by the Board in its discretion and subject to a limit on the maximum number of shares of our Class A common stock that may be issued under the ESPP. Collectively, these plans are referred to as the “Award Plans”. The Award Plans are administered by the Board and, where delegated, its committees, who have the authority to grant and amend awards, adopt, amend, and repeal rules relating to the Award Plans and to interpret and correct the provisions of the Award Plans and any award. Pursuant to the Award Plans, the Board and, where delegated, its committees, select the individuals to whom options or RSUs are granted and determine the terms of each award, including (i) the number of shares of common stock subject to the award; (ii) conditions and limitations applicable to each award and the common stock issued, including vesting provisions; (iii) the option exercise price, which must be at least 100.0% of the fair market value of the common stock as of the date of grant; and (iv) the duration of the award, which may not exceed 10 years. The Board and, where delegated, its committees, may also grant restricted stock awards entitling recipients to acquire shares of common stock subject to (i) delivery to Circle by the participant of cash or other lawful consideration in an amount at least equal to the par value of the stock purchased, and (ii) the right of Circle to repurchase all or part of such stock at their issue price in the event that conditions specified in the applicable award are not satisfied prior to the end of the applicable restriction period. In certain circumstances, the Company also grants stock-based awards to non-employees in lieu or in reduction of cash compensation for their services. The stock-based awards granted to non-employees generally have the same terms as those granted to employees under the Award Plans and are administered by the Board and, where delegated, its committees, as set forth above. For stock-based awards granted to non-employees, compensation expense is recognized based on the grant date fair value of the awards over the vesting period as the goods or services are received. The ESPP allows eligible employees the option to purchase shares of the Company's Class A common stock at a 15% discount, over a series of offering periods through accumulated payroll deductions over the period. The ESPP also includes a look-back provision for the purchase price if the stock price on the purchase date is higher than the stock price on the first day of the offering period. The grant date of the initial offering period is March 5, 2026 and will end on September 4, 2026. Subsequent offering periods will be six months in length, from September 5 to March 4 and from March 5 to September 4 each year. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, using a fair-value based method for costs related to all equity awards issued under the equity incentive plans, including options and RSUs granted to employees, directors, and non-employees. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized and included in Compensation expenses in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company estimates the fair value of stock options and ESPP with only service-based conditions on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes-Merton (“Black-Scholes”) option-pricing model. The fair value of the stock option and ESPP shares is expensed over the related service period which is typically the vesting period and the straight-line method is used for expense attribution. The model requires management to make a number of assumptions, including the fair value of our underlying common stock for options granted prior to the IPO, expected volatility of our underlying common stock, expected term of the stock option, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividend yield. The expected term of the stock option and ESPP is based on the average period the stock option and ESPP is expected to remain outstanding based on the stock option’s and ESPP's vesting and contractual terms. The estimated forfeiture rate is based on accumulated historical forfeiture data. The Company evaluates the assumptions used to value stock awards quarterly. Prior to the IPO, the RSUs vested upon the satisfaction of both a service condition and a liquidity condition. The fair value of RSUs is estimated based on the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. Stock-based compensation expense related to the RSUs is recorded on a tranche-by-tranche basis over the requisite service period, when the liquidity condition is considered probable. The liquidity condition was satisfied upon the IPO, and the Company recognized expense for the portion of RSUs that had met the service condition as of such date. The Company’s RSUs granted after the IPO vest upon the satisfaction of a service condition and do not have a corresponding liquidity condition. Expense related to these RSUs is recognized using the straight-line attribution method.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements | Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (“ASU 2023-09”). ASU 2023-09 enhances income tax disclosures, including more detailed requirements related to the rate reconciliation and disaggregation of income taxes paid by jurisdiction, among other items. The Company adopted ASU 2023-09 retrospectively effective for the year ended December 31, 2025. The adoption has only impacted annual disclosures. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In September 2025, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2025-06, Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Internal-Use Software (“ASU 2025-06”). ASU 2025-06 removes all references to software development project stages under the existing standard and states that an entity is required to start capitalizing software costs when (1) management has authorized and committed to fund the software project and (2) it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used to perform the function intended (the “probable-to-complete recognition threshold”). The new standard also states that an entity must assess whether significant development uncertainty exists in determining whether it has met the probable-to-complete recognition threshold. ASU 2025-06 is effective for the Company for its fiscal year beginning January 1, 2028 and for interim periods beginning in that year, with early adoption permitted. The guidance allows for prospective, retrospective, or modified prospective adoption. The Company is currently assessing ASU 2025-06 and its impact on its financial statements and disclosures. In November 2024, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2024-03, Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses (“ASU 2024-03”). ASU 2024-03 is intended to provide users of financial statements with more decision-useful information about expenses of a public business entity, primarily through enhanced disclosures of certain components of expenses commonly presented within captions on the statement of operations, such as employee compensation and depreciation and amortization, as well as a qualitative description of the amounts remaining in relevant expense captions that are not separately disaggregated quantitatively. ASU 2024-03 also requires disclosure of the total amount of selling expenses. ASU 2024-03 is effective prospectively or retrospectively for the Company for its fiscal year beginning January 1, 2027 and for interim periods beginning January 1, 2028, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently assessing ASU 2024-03 and its impact on its disclosures.

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