Bull vs. Bear Debate: Is Stablecoin Leader CRCL Worth Buying? Why Can't High-Growth Earnings Drive the Stock Price?

Odaily星球日报Dipublikasikan tanggal 2025-12-09Terakhir diperbarui pada 2025-12-09

Abstrak

"Circle (NYSE: CRCL), the issuer of USDC, has sparked intense debate in the crypto community following its Q3 2025 earnings report. Despite reporting strong growth—revenue up 66% YoY to $740 million and net income of $214 million, driven by a 108% increase in USDC circulation—its stock price fell significantly post-earnings and remains near its IPO price of $64. The core disagreement revolves around Circle’s business model and sustainability. Critics, including Jiang Zhuorer, argue that Circle operates like a bank, earning primarily through interest on reserve assets (mainly U.S. Treasuries), but is highly vulnerable to interest rate cuts. They highlight that ~60% of revenue is paid to distributors like Coinbase, leaving thin margins that could turn negative in a low-rate environment. They also warn of competition from traditional financial giants like JPMorgan and potential policy changes. Proponents, such as BTCdayu and qinbafrank, counter that Circle is building a long-term, network-driven infrastructure play. They compare it to Amazon or JD.com, arguing that current profit-sharing is a strategic cost to achieve scale, compliance advantage, and eventual market dominance in a winner-take-all industry. They believe USDC’s合规 (compliance) edge and institutional trust will drive adoption to multi-trillion dollars, outweighing interest rate risks. Short-term concerns include significant post-IPO lockup expirations adding selling pressure, and structural barriers like U.S. tax...

Original / Odaily Planet Daily (@OdailyChina)

Author / DingDang (@XiaMiPP)

Recently, the Chinese X community has sparked a fierce debate around "Is Circle (NYSE: CRCL) worth buying?", with the court of public opinion clearly split into two major camps. One side sees it as a value stock with significant institutional红利 (dividends/benefits) in the stablecoin赛道 (track/sector), while the other frequently questions the fragility of its profit model and potential cyclical risks. The交锋 (clash/exchange) of views reflects the vastly different judgment logics and expectation levels the current market holds for innovative projects.

Based on a large amount of public discussion and rational analysis within the community, Odaily Planet Daily梳理 (sorts out/compiles) the core arguments and reasoning paths of both sides, attempting to present the deeper structural disagreements behind the controversy beyond emotions and stances.

Background Brief

Since its listing on the NYSE on June 5, 2025, Circle (NYSE: CRCL) has experienced a complete, typical price curve of a "narrative-driven asset": from an IPO price of $64, it quickly rose to a阶段性 (phase/period) high of $298.9 in a short time, then gradually declined, and around November 20, 2025, returned near its IPO price, touching a low of $64.9, recently rebounding to around $83.9.

On November 12, 2025, CRCL announced its first full quarterly (Q3) earnings report post-IPO: total revenue of $740 million, a year-on-year increase of 66%; net profit of $214 million, EPS $0.64, significantly exceeding market expectations. The most crucial driving factor came from the surge in USDC circulation from $35.5 billion in the same period last year to $73.7 billion (+108%),以及 (as well as) the rise in reserve asset yields in a high-interest-rate environment.

However, the stock price fell 11.4% on the first day after the earnings release and累计 (accumulatively) fell 20% over the week. Key pain points included high分销费用 (distribution fees) ($448 million, 60% of revenue), operating expenses eroding profits, a high proportion of non-recurring income (71% from fair value changes in investments),以及 selling pressure from the lock-up expiration. According to SEC filings, the IPO lock-up period ended after the Q3 earnings report, with a potentially huge number of shares becoming eligible for sale starting November 14.

围绕 (Surrounding/Regarding) these facts, Odaily Planet Daily has compiled the differing views, such as those from @0xNing0x, Jiang Zhuo'er, @Phyrex_Ni, @BTCdayu, @qinbafrank, for readers to compare and analyze.

I. Is the Profit Model Sustainable: Is CRCL a Bank or Financial Infrastructure?

Jiang Zhuo'er believes that CRCL's profit source is essentially "earning the interest rate spread": users exchange money for USDC, Circle allocates these funds to low-risk assets like U.S. Treasuries, earns interest income, then deducts operating costs and channel profit-sharing.

But the problem is, CRCL's profit distribution structure is extremely unfavorable to itself. According to the agreement, about 61% of the profit must be shared with Coinbase, and Coinbase also holds a 22% share of USDC, with 100% of this portion's收益 (收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益收益极难在短时间内复制 Circle 所已经完成的合规路径、渠道网络与机构信任积累。

Pertanyaan Terkait

QWhat are the main arguments for and against investing in Circle (CRCL) according to the article?

AThe main arguments against investing include concerns over its profit-sharing model with Coinbase (which takes about 61% of profits), high dependency on interest rates from reserve assets making it vulnerable in a rate-cutting cycle, potential competition from traditional financial giants like JPMorgan, and short-term selling pressure from the lock-up period expiration. The main arguments for investing are that CRCL is strategically sacrificing short-term profits to build scale, network effects, and user trust; it is positioned to benefit from future stablecoin adoption and regulatory clarity; and its compliance and partnerships form a strong moat that could lead to long-term dominance in the compliant stablecoin space.

QHow does Circle's (CRCL) profit model work, and why is it considered controversial?

ACircle's profit model primarily relies on earning interest from the reserve assets (like U.S. Treasuries) backing its USDC stablecoin. The controversy stems from the high distribution costs, where approximately 61% of the profits are shared with distribution partners like Coinbase. Critics argue this leaves CRCL with a very small portion of the actual profits, making the model fragile, especially if interest rates decline significantly. Supporters view the profit-sharing as a strategic cost to acquire market share and build a dominant network effect in the stablecoin industry.

QWhat is the impact of interest rate changes on Circle's (CRCL) profitability?

AInterest rate changes have a significant impact on CRCL's profitability. The company's income is highly dependent on the yield from its reserve assets. In a high-interest-rate environment, this generates substantial revenue. However, critics warn that a transition to a rate-cutting cycle could severely compress CRCL's profit margins. If rates fall to around 2% while operational costs remain near 1%, the model could become unprofitable after accounting for distribution partner shares. Supporters argue that growth in USDC's circulation size could outweigh the negative impact of gradually falling rates.

QWhat are the key competitive threats to Circle (CRCL) and USDC mentioned in the debate?

AThe key competitive threats discussed are twofold. First, traditional financial giants like JPMorgan entering the stablecoin market with their substantial resources, credit backing, and potential to use subsidies to gain market share. Second, the potential for regulatory changes that could erode Circle's current advantages or for competitors to find ways to bypass existing restrictions on paying interest to users. Proponents of CRCL counter that its deep compliance, established trust, network effects, and open-network design create a significant moat that closed-loop institutional solutions from banks cannot easily overcome.

QWhat short-term trading concern is highlighted regarding CRCL's stock price?

AA major short-term trading concern highlighted is the significant selling pressure from the expiration of the IPO lock-up period. The lock-up for insiders, founders, employees, and early investors ended after the Q3 earnings report, potentially releasing a large number of shares into the market. This sudden increase in supply creates a risk of downward pressure on the stock price in the near term, leading some traders to adopt a wait-and-see approach until this uncertainty is resolved.

Bacaan Terkait

Menurunkan Ekspektasi untuk Bull Market Bitcoin Berikutnya

Artikel ini membahas penurunan ekspektasi penulis terhadap potensi kenaikan harga Bitcoin (BTC) pada siklus bull market berikutnya. Penulis, Alex Xu, yang sebelumnya memegang BTC sebagai aset terbesarnya, telah mengurangi porsi BTC dari full menjadi sekitar 30% pada kisaran harga $100.000-$120.000, dan kembali mengurangi di level $78.000-$79.000. Alasan utama penurunan ekspektasi ini adalah: 1. **Energi Penggerak yang Melemah:** Narasi adopsi BTC yang mendorong kenaikan signifikan di siklus sebelumnya (dari aset niche hingga institusi besar via ETF) sulit terulang. Langkah berikutnya, seperti masuknya BTC ke dalam cadangan bank sentral negara maju, dianggap sangat sulit tercapai dalam 2-3 tahun ke depan. 2. **Biaya Peluang Pribadi:** Penulis menemukan peluang investasi yang lebih menarik di perusahaan-perusahaan lain. 3. **Dampak Resesi Industri Kripto:** Menyusutnya industri kripto secara keseluruhan (banyak model bisnis seperti SocialFi dan GameFi terbukti gagal) dapat memperlambat pertumbuhan basis pemegang BTC. 4. **Biaya Pendanaan Pembeli Utama:** Perusahaan pembeli BTC terbesar, Stratis, menghadapi kenaikan biaya pendanaan yang memberatkan, yang dapat mengurangi kecepatan pembeliannya dan memberi tekanan jual. 5. **Pesaing Baru untuk "Emas Digital":** Hadirnya "tokenized gold" (emas yang ditokenisasi) menawarkan keunggulan yang mirip dengan BTC (seperti dapat dibagi dan dipindahkan) sehingga menjadi pesaing serius. 6. **Masalah Anggaran Keamanan:** Imbalan miner yang terus berkurang pasca halving menimbulkan kekhawatiran tentang keamanan jaringan, sementara upaya mencari sumber fee baru seperti ordinals dan L2 dinilai gagal. Penulis menyatakan tetap memegang BTC sebagai aset besar dan terbuka untuk membeli kembali jika alasannya tidak lagi relevan atau muncul faktor positif baru, meski siap menerima jika harganya sudah terlalu tinggi untuk dibeli kembali.

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Menurunkan Ekspektasi untuk Bull Market Bitcoin Berikutnya

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Selamat datang di HTX.com! Kami telah membuat pembelian Threshold Network Token (T) menjadi mudah dan nyaman. Ikuti panduan langkah demi langkah kami untuk memulai perjalanan kripto Anda.Langkah 1: Buat Akun HTX AndaGunakan alamat email atau nomor ponsel Anda untuk mendaftar akun gratis di HTX. Rasakan perjalanan pendaftaran yang mudah dan buka semua fitur.Dapatkan Akun SayaLangkah 2: Buka Beli Kripto, lalu Pilih Metode Pembayaran AndaKartu Kredit/Debit: Gunakan Visa atau Mastercard Anda untuk membeli Threshold Network Token (T) secara instan.Saldo: Gunakan dana dari saldo akun HTX Anda untuk melakukan trading dengan lancar.Pihak Ketiga: Kami telah menambahkan metode pembayaran populer seperti Google Pay dan Apple Pay untuk meningkatkan kenyamanan.P2P: Lakukan trading langsung dengan pengguna lain di HTX.Over-the-Counter (OTC): Kami menawarkan layanan yang dibuat khusus dan kurs yang kompetitif bagi para trader.Langkah 3: Simpan Threshold Network Token (T) AndaSetelah melakukan pembelian, simpan Threshold Network Token (T) di akun HTX Anda. Selain itu, Anda dapat mengirimkannya ke tempat lain melalui transfer blockchain atau menggunakannya untuk memperdagangkan mata uang kripto lainnya.Langkah 4: Lakukan trading Threshold Network Token (T)Lakukan trading Threshold Network Token (T) dengan mudah di pasar spot HTX. Cukup akses akun Anda, pilih pasangan perdagangan, jalankan trading, lalu pantau secara real-time. Kami menawarkan pengalaman yang ramah pengguna baik untuk pemula maupun trader berpengalaman.

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Selamat datang di Komunitas HTX. Di sini, Anda bisa terus mendapatkan informasi terbaru tentang perkembangan platform terkini dan mendapatkan akses ke wawasan pasar profesional. Pendapat pengguna mengenai harga T (T) disajikan di bawah ini.

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