USDC / Circle - Systemic risk mapping

USDC has established itself as the cornerstone of the on-chain financial infrastructure, serving as the unit of account and settlement layer for a large proportion of institutional DeFi, with over $18 trillion in annual volumes. Designed as an operational bridge between traditional finance and public blockchains, its stability is based on a sophisticated reserve architecture, structured by Circle and supported by leading partners such as BlackRock. However, this centrality creates points of risk concentration: dependence on the banking system, increased exposure to regulatory frameworks (MiCA, GENIUS Act) and operational risks. For financial institutions, analysing the USDC's vulnerability vectors has become essential for assessing the robustness of the entire digital asset ecosystem.