Cathie Wood Cashes Out: Why She Dumped Circle (CRCL) Stock After a 50% Rocket Ride in Just 10 Days

Cathie Wood just pulled the plug on Circle (CRCL) at peak velocity—here''s why the queen of disruption hit the eject button.

Profit-Taking or Panic?

After a blistering 50% surge in under two weeks, ARK Invest’s CEO offloaded CRCL shares faster than a DeFi rug pull. Was it disciplined profit-taking—or a silent alarm ringing?

The Stablecoin Shadow Play

Circle’s USDC dominance faces heat from Tether’s political maneuvers and PayPal’s PYUSD invasion. Even crypto’s safest harbor isn’t immune to storm surges.

Wall Street’s Cynical Calculus

Funny how ‘long-term visionaries’ suddenly remember what stop-loss orders are when gains hit triple digits. Meanwhile, retail traders cling to the dip like it’s a life raft.

One thing’s clear: in crypto, even the bulls wear running shoes.

TLDR

• Ark Invest sold nearly 300,000 Circle (CRCL) shares within 10 days of purchase, realizing a 50% profit as the stock jumped to $151
• Circle’s stock has surged nearly 5x from its $31 IPO price to current levels around $150, boosting company valuation to $30 billion
• CEO Jeremy Allaire suggested stablecoins could soon hit their “iPhone moment” as programmable digital dollars become foundational platforms
• U.S. Senate is pushing landmark stablecoin framework legislation that could provide regulatory clarity for the industry
• Circle expanded USDC to the XRP Ledger mainnet, enabling direct access without requiring bridges for developers and institutions

Circle stock continues its meteoric rise following one of 2025’s most explosive IPO debuts. The stablecoin issuer has delivered returns that WOULD make even the most seasoned investors do a double-take.

Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest made headlines by dumping nearly 300,000 Circle shares within just 10 days of acquisition. The firm sold shares across two funds – ARK Innovation ETF and ARK Next Generation Internet ETF.

🚨 JUST IN: Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest offloads $51.7M in Circle shares as the stablecoin issuer hits a record-high price of $151.06. pic.twitter.com/QlDWNIMi2F

— CryptosRus (@CryptosR_Us) June 17, 2025

From Ark’s purchase price of $96, Circle stock has already jumped 50% to current levels around $151. The quick profit-taking appears to be part of portfolio rebalancing rather than a loss of faith in the company.

Despite the sell-off, Ark Invest still holds over 4 million Circle shares worth approximately $373 million. The firm is sitting on paper profits of roughly $185 million from its Circle position.

The stock surge represents just the latest chapter in Circle’s remarkable Wall Street debut. Shares priced at $31 during the June IPO have now climbed nearly 5x to current levels.

This performance has pushed Circle’s valuation to a staggering $30 billion. The company added over $22 billion in market value within its first two weeks of trading.

Weekend Comments Spark Fresh Rally

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire sparked fresh buying interest with weekend comments about stablecoins. He suggested the sector could soon experience its “iPhone moment” as programmable digital dollars become foundational platforms.

The comments resonated with investors already bullish on Circle’s prospects. Shares jumped as much as 22% to over $168 in early Monday trading before settling back.

Allaire’s timing couldn’t be better for stoking investor enthusiasm. The crypto market has regained momentum, and the IPO market is showing signs of renewed life.

His vision centers on stablecoins becoming as ubiquitous as smartphone apps. Think instant payments for ride-sharing, gaming rewards without middlemen, or cross-border commerce without banking delays.

Currently, stablecoins remain largely confined to crypto wallets and DeFi protocols. But Allaire sees potential for much broader adoption across mainstream applications.

Circle’s USDC stablecoin already ranks as the second-largest with a $61 billion market cap. The company has built what many consider battle-tested infrastructure for digital payments.

Regulatory Tailwinds Building

Fresh regulatory developments could provide another catalyst for Circle’s stock price. The U.S. Senate is pushing landmark stablecoin framework legislation through Congress.

The proposed framework would license stablecoin issuers and mandate reserve audits. It would also provide SAFE harbors from securities laws for compliant operators.

A final Senate vote is expected later this week. Passage could remove regulatory uncertainty that has long hung over the stablecoin sector.

Circle has positioned itself as the clean, regulated player in the space. The company maintains full reserves backing its USDC stablecoin and submits to regular audits.

This regulatory positioning has already paid dividends with institutional investors. Circle’s IPO attracted heavyweight backing and generated massive oversubscription.

The company also continues expanding its market footprint. Last week, Circle launched USDC on the XRP Ledger mainnet.

This integration gives developers, institutions, and users direct access to USDC without requiring bridges. It leverages XRPL’s speed and security features while expanding Circle’s reach.

BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes believes Circle could eventually become a “US Treasury company.” He sees potential for the firm to be more successful than MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin strategy.

Circle stock closed Monday at $150, up 12.2% from the previous day’s close. The stock has delivered almost 90% gains over the past month compared to the S&P 500’s 1.3% advance.