USDC is a fully regulated, fiat-collateralized stablecoin issued by Circle Internet Financial and backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars and short-term U.S. Treasury securities held in regulated financial institutions. It provides transparency through monthly attestations and is designed for stability, making it widely used in DeFi for lending, trading, payments, and remittances across dozens of blockchains. USDC emphasizes compliance and has become one of the most trusted stablecoins in the industry.