Circle Likely to ‘Sell in a Heartbeat’ to Coinbase for $5 Billion as XRP-Rich Ripple Lurks

According to new reports, Circle, the peer-to-peer payments technology firm managing the stablecoin USDC, is informally in talks with Coinbase Global and Ripple Labs over the possibility of a long-term acquisition. The new development comes as Circle plans its initial public offering (IPO).

According to a report from Fortune, four banking and private equity executives, who requested to remain anonymous, disclosed that Circle, the stablecoin issuer, aims to secure at least $5 billion in sale valuation, equivalent to its IPO target.

According to one of the executives, if an offer is in the vault, Circle is likely to “sell in a heartbeat” to Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States.

Another is optimistic for the coming week, and is quoted as saying, “Things change week by week.”

Notably, the equity executives acknowledged Circle’s commitment to going public. Back in April, the stablecoin issuer made a public filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to list its Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the “CRCL” symbol. Despite taking these major steps, Circle has yet to outline its Initial Public Offering (IPO) terms. 

Circle acquisition: Coinbase or Ripple? 

While Ripple’s bid to purchase Circle for around $4 billion to $5 billion was reportedly declined in April, the crypto payment company’s balance sheet of 4.5 billion XRP, worth $11.77 billion, along with its $95.7 billion funds in escrow, positions it as a serious contender. 

On the other hand, Coinbase’s long-standing relationship with Circle remains equally remarkable. In 2018, Circle tapped Coinbase to kickstart a joint venture that enabled issuing the USDC stablecoin. Coinbase would later acquire an equity stake in Circle. 

“They’re [Circle] going public doesn’t change anything about our commercial relationship, but in terms of other deals we might consider in the future, I mean, that, of course, would be up to them and us, but, you know, nothing to announce today.” Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, told Bloomberg in May, in response to being quizzed about potentially acquiring Circle.