Circle Internet Corp. (CRCL), the company behind the popular USDC stablecoin, saw its shares plunge 5.06% in pre-market trading on Tuesday, following a period of extraordinary gains and amid continued selling pressure from a major investor.
The pre-market decline comes on the heels of Cathie Wood's ARK Invest offloading significant portions of its Circle holdings. According to reports, ARK sold over 415,000 shares on June 23rd, worth approximately $109.5 million, marking its largest single-day reduction to date. This follows earlier sales of over 640,000 shares in the previous week, totaling about $96 million.
Despite the recent sell-off by ARK, Circle's stock has experienced a meteoric rise since its IPO earlier this month, surging over 740% from its initial listing price. This rapid ascent has pushed Circle's market capitalization to nearly $64 billion, surpassing the total circulating supply of its USDC stablecoin.
Adding to the downward pressure, Compass Point initiated coverage of Circle with a Neutral rating and a $205 price target on Tuesday. This valuation suggests potential downside from current levels, which may be contributing to investor caution.
The broader context for Circle's volatility includes recent regulatory developments and strategic partnerships in the stablecoin space. The U.S. Senate's passage of the GENIUS Act, which aims to create a regulatory framework for stablecoins, has been seen as a positive catalyst for the industry. Additionally, Circle's involvement in Fiserv's new stablecoin initiative and Mastercard's moves to integrate stablecoins into its global payment network highlight the growing mainstream adoption of digital currencies.
As the market opens, investors will be closely watching Circle's performance to see if this pre-market dip represents a temporary pullback or the beginning of a more significant correction after its recent explosive growth.