Circle Slams Door on Ripple’s $4-5B Takeover Bid—Stablecoin Standoff Escalates
In a move that shocked crypto corridors, Circle just swatted away Ripple’s multi-billion dollar acquisition offer like a bothersome fly. The USDC issuer’s rejection signals a brewing power struggle—who needs competitors when you can have frenemies?
Behind the velvet rope: While neither side disclosed terms, insiders whisper the bid flirted with $5B. Now the stablecoin wars get spicy—Circle’s playing chess while Ripple counts its XRP war chest.
The finance jab: Because nothing says ’healthy ecosystem’ like two blockchain giants refusing to merge unless the valuation strokes their egos. Stay tuned for the next episode of ’As the Stablecoin Turns’.
- Circle ostensibly turned down the offer since it was too low based on its market value and prospects.
- Ripple is keen to expand its recently launched RLUSD to compete with Tether USDT among others.
Ripple Labs proposed to takeover Circle Internet Group Inc. for $4 billion to $5 billion. According to people familiar with the matter, Circle, the second largest stablecoin issuer, turned down the offer and termed it as too low.
Meanwhile, Ripple has not yet made another move but remains interested in acquiring Circle. Moreover, Circle’s USDC has penetrated global web3 markets to hit a market cap of about $61.6 billion and a 24 hour average trading volume of about $6.9 billion.
“We do not comment on market rumors. As we are currently in a quiet period with the U.S. SEC, we cannot comment further on our corporate financial plans. Our long-term goals remain the same,” Circle’s spokesperson told Bloomberg.
Top Reasons Why Ripple Eyes Circle
Circle’s market complexities
Earlier in April, Circle filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the U.S. SEC, with the aim of listing on NYSE under ticker CRCL. While Circle’s revenue grew by 16 percent to $1.7 billion YoY, the company’s net income and EBITDA fell sharply.
The company has attributed the decline in net income to increased partner costs, service discontinuation, in addition to operational expenses. For instance, the company has reported an increase in distribution and transaction costs from higher fees on its partners led by Coinbase Global.
Future growth prospects for RLUSD
Ripple Labs recently launched RLUSD to help streamline its cross-border payments system, which includes backing up XRP adoption. However, the company has faced intense competition from existing stablecoins led by Tether USDT.
Additionally, RLUSD has experienced significant competition from similar products, such as USD1(USD1)by Donald Trump-backed World Liberty Financial that has already surpassed $2 billion in market cap.
