Clear Street Lifts Circle Internet Price Target to $136, Cites USDC Adoption
Clear Street upgraded Circle Internet Group to Buy from Hold and raised its price target from $92 to $136, citing expanding USDC adoption driven by tokenized assets, DeFi use cases, and improving regulatory clarity. The broker noted USDC’s market cap has rebounded despite a 44% sector decline since October 2025.
1. Clear Street Upgrade
Clear Street moved Circle Internet Group to a Buy rating from Hold and boosted its price target to $136 from $92, highlighting a stronger outlook for the USDC stablecoin. The upgrade reflects the brokerage’s belief that rising institutional and retail usage will underpin the stock’s valuation.
2. USDC Adoption Drivers
Clear Street identified tokenization of financial assets, new decentralized finance applications, improved regulatory clarity, geopolitical tensions, and potential AI-driven programmable money as key catalysts for USDC growth. These factors are expected to expand USDC’s role as a settlement layer and increase its circulating balances on trading platforms.
3. Stock Price History
Circle’s shares fell about 81% from a June 2025 peak near $264 to around $50 in February 2026 before rebounding over 100% to roughly $115. Despite this recovery, the stock remains well below its previous highs, reflecting ongoing market volatility and uncertainty.