Your balance is held as stablecoins in an account your business owns and controls, backed 1:1 by cash and cash equivalents held at leading financial institutions, such as BlackRock.
Incoming USD and EUR bank transfers are automatically converted 1:1 into USDC or EURC and credited to your Altitude account. USDC and EURC are issued by Circle and are fully reserved, not fractionally reserved: for every dollar or euro issued, Circle holds at least an equivalent value in cash and highly liquid reserve assets. These reserves are held separately from Circle’s operating funds for the benefit of stablecoin holders.
- USD balances: Your balance is held in USDC, issued by Circle and backed 1:1 by dollar reserves consisting of cash, short-term US Treasuries, and overnight Treasury repurchase agreements. Most of this backing sits in the Circle Reserve Fund, managed by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager by AUM.
- EUR balances: Your balance is held in EURC, issued by Circle and backed 1:1 by euro-denominated reserves held at regulated financial institutions. Circle’s European issuer is a licensed electronic money institution, authorized to issue USDC and EURC under the EU’s MiCA framework.
- Earn balances: Eligible businesses can currently earn 3.5% in rewards through Altitude Earn, using infrastructure provided by Bridge, a Stripe company. Balances are backed 1:1 by short-term US Treasuries managed by BlackRock. Rates are variable and subject to eligibility and program terms.
Circle issues its stablecoins through regulated entities and reported $73.3 billion of USDC in circulation as of June 30, 2026. USDC is used by companies like Visa, BlackRock, and Polymarket.
Bridge, a Stripe company, provides services through licensed entities, including its US money transmission business. Its infrastructure and services are used by companies like Shopify, Klarna, and Deel.
Altitude does not take custody of your account’s stablecoins. Stablecoin balances are not bank deposits and are not covered by deposit insurance.