# Binance Invests $100 Million in Circle as Tokenized Markets Expand

By John Kim

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/24218
Published: 2026-09-25T16:34:25.000Z
Updated: 2026-09-25T16:34:25.000Z
Section: Business

> Six Canadian banks are exploring Canadian-dollar tokenized deposits, while Blockchain.com and NYSE Group plan a venue for tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs pending regulatory approval.

Crypto and traditional finance firms are expanding into overlapping markets as Binance invests $100 million in Circle, Canadian banks explore tokenized deposits and NYSE Group pursues blockchain-based stock trading.

Binance purchased 1,237,011 shares of Circle Class A common stock at $80.84 per share on Sept. 17 in a private placement. The shares face transfer restrictions of up to two years, subject to customary exceptions.

Circle and Binance also renewed a five-year commercial agreement focused on promoting USD Coin (USDC). Circle will pay Binance a monthly incentive fee based on the amount of USDC held through Circle’s Modular Smart Contract Wallet infrastructure.

“Our $100 million investment and five-year commitment represent long-duration conviction,” Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said.

“Together, we see incredible opportunities to leverage USDC to expand dollar access,” Circle co-founder, Chairman and CEO Jeremy Allaire said.

In Canada, Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, National Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank and TD Bank Group are exploring Canadian-dollar tokenized deposits. The project’s first phase is intended to support transfers between participating financial institutions, with a longer-term possibility of connecting to other digital-asset initiatives.

The banks have not launched a tokenized-deposit network. Canada’s Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions said Sept. 10 that tokenized deposits are not legally distinct from traditional deposits because they remain liabilities of the issuing banks.

In the United States, Blockchain.com and NYSE Group signed a memorandum of understanding covering the distribution of tokenized U.S. exchange-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds through the NYSE’s planned digital alternative trading system. The arrangement remains subject to required regulatory approvals and does not establish that the assets are already available to Blockchain.com users.

The agreement also includes a market-data partnership involving ICE Data Services.

On Sept. 17, the SEC temporarily exempted qualifying venues from certain regulatory requirements when they use restricted-access automated market makers or liquidity pools to trade tokenized NMS shares. The relief expires five years after publication and requires covered tokenized stocks to provide holders the same rights and privileges as equivalent traditional shares.

NYSE announced in January that it was developing a platform for trading and on-chain settlement of tokenized securities, also subject to regulatory approval.