USDC
A US dollar stablecoin issued by Circle and backed by cash and short-term US Treasuries.
✦ Key Insight
It is a default quote asset and settlement leg, so most traders hold it regularly. Its issuer, reserves and jurisdiction are therefore part of your risk picture.
✕ Common Misconceptions
Bridging USDC to a chain and receiving a bridged version rather than the native one — the two are not always interchangeable. Also assuming freezes cannot happen; the contract permits them.
Detailed Explanation
In Practice
Dig Deeper
Wallet
Software or hardware that stores your private keys and lets you sign transactions.
Token
An asset created by a smart contract on an existing blockchain rather than being that blockchain's native currency.
Blockchain
A shared, append-only record of transactions maintained by many independent computers at once.
Transaction
A blockchain transaction is a signed or authorized instruction that changes blockchain state or transfers value when accepted by the network.