Legal & Privacy
EURC White Paper
Download the iXBRL version here
(Articles 51 to 53 of MiCA regulation)
This white paper was notified to the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution on May 31st, 2024, and amended on September 12th, 2024 and December 24th, 2025.
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FIELD |
CONTENT |
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I.00
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Table of content
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I.01 – Date of notification I.02 – Statement in accordance with Article 51(3) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 I.03 – Compliance statement in accordance with Article 51(5) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 I.04 – Warning in accordance with Article 51(4), points (a) and (b) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 SUMMARY
I.05 – Warning in accordance with Article 51(6), second subparagraph of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 I.06 – Characteristics of the crypto-asset I.07 – Right of redemption I.08 – Key information about the offer and/ or admission to trading
A.1 – Statutory name A.2 – Trading name A.3 – Legal form A.4 – Registered address A.5 – Head office A.6 – Registration date A.7 – Legal entity identifier A.8 – Another identifier required pursuant to applicable law A.9 – Contact telephone number A.10 – E-mail address A.11 – Response time (days) A.12 – Parent company A.13 – Members of the management body A.14 – Business activity A.15 – Parent company business activity A.16 – Conflicts of interest disclosure A.17 – Issuance of other crypto-assets A.18 – Activities related to other crypto-assets A.19 – Connection between the issuer and the entity running the DLT A.20 – Description of the connection between the issuer and the entity running the DLT A.21 – Newly established A.22 – Financial condition over the past three years A.23 – Financial condition since registration A.24 – Exemption from authorisation A.25 – E-money Token authorisation A.26 – Authorisation authority A.27 – Persons other than the issuer offering to the public or seeking admission to trading of the e-money token in accordance with Article 51(1), second subparagraph of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 A.28 – Persons other than the issuer offering to the public or seeking admission to trading of the e-money token in accordance with Article 51(1), second subparagraph of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 A.29 – Reason for offering to the public or seeking admission to trading of the e-money token bypersons referred to in Article 51(1), second subparagraph of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114
B.1 – Name B.2 – Abbreviation B.3 – Details of all natural or legal persons involved in design and development
A DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE E-MONEY TOKEN, INCLUDING THE DATA NECESSARY FOR CLASSIFICATION OF THE CRYPTO-ASSET WHITE PAPER IN THE REGISTER REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 109, AS SPECIFIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 8 OF THAT ARTICLE
B.4 – Type of white paper B.5 – The type of submission B.6 – Crypto-assets characteristics B.7 – Website of the Issuer B.8 – Starting date of offer to the public or admission to trading B.9 – Publication Date B.10 – Any other services provided by the Issuer B.11 – Language or languages of the white paper B.12 – Digital token identifier code used to uniquely identify the crypto-asset or each of the several crypto assets to which the white paper relates, where available B.13 – Functionally fungible group digital Token Identifier, where available B.14 – Personal data flag B.15 – LEI eligibility B.16 – Home member state B.17 –Host member states
C.1 – Public offering or trading C.2 – Number of units C.3 – Trading platforms C.4 – Trading platforms Market Identifier Code (MIC) C.5 – Applicable law C.6 – Competent court
PART D - INFORMATION ON THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ATTACHED TO E-MONEY TOKENS D.1 – Holder’s rights and obligations D.2 – Conditions of modifications of rights and obligations D.3 – Description of the rights of the holders D.4 – Rights in implementation of recovery plan D.5 – Rights in implementation of redemption plan D.6 – Complaint Submission Contact D.7 – Complaints handling procedures D.8 – Dispute Resolution Mechanism D.9 – Token Value Protection Schemes D.10 – Token Value Protection Schemes Description D.11 – Compensation Schemes D.12 – Compensation Schemes Description D.13 – Applicable law
D.14 – Competent court
E.1 – Distributed ledger technology E.2 – Protocols and technical standards E.3 – Technology Used E.4 – Purchaser’s technical requirements E.5 – Consensus Mechanism E.6 – Incentive Mechanisms and Applicable Fees E.7 – Use of Distributed Ledger Technology E.8 – DLT Functionality Description E.9 – Audit
E.10 – Audit outcome
PART F - INFORMATION ON THE RISKS F.1 – Issuer-related risks F.2 – Token-related risks F.3 – Technology-related risks F.4 – Mitigation measures PART G - INFORMATION ON THE SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS IN RELATION TO ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE CLIMATE AND OTHER ENVIRONMENT-RELATED ADVERSE IMPACTS
G.1 – Adverse impacts on climate and other environment-related adverse impacts |
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I.01
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Date of notification
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This white paper was notified to the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution on November 26th, 2025.
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I.02 |
Statement in accordance with Article 51(3) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114
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This crypto asset white paper has not been approved by any competent authority in any Member State of the European Union. The issuer of the crypto-asset is solely responsible for the content of this White Paper. |
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I.03 |
Statement in accordance with Article 51(5) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114
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This crypto-asset white paper complies with Title IV of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 of the European Parliament and of the Council and to the best of the knowledge of the management body, the information presented in the crypto-asset white paper is fair, clear, and not misleading and the crypto-asset white paper makes no omission likely to affect its import. |
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I.04 |
Warning in accordance with Article 51(4), points (a) and (b) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 |
The e-money token is not covered by the investor compensation schemes under Directive 97/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council or the deposit guarantee schemes under Directive 2014/49/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council. |
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SUMMARY
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I.05 |
Warning in accordance with Article 51(6), second subparagraph of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114
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Warning. |
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I.06 |
Characteristics of the crypto-asset
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EURC is an e-money token ("EMT"), available on public blockchain networks. EURC provides a faster, safer, and more efficient way to send, spend, and exchange money around the world.
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I.07 |
Right of redemption
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The holders of this EMT have a right of redemption at any time and at par value. This applies to holders of EURC globally. Conditions and processes for redemption of EURC are detailed in our Redemption Policy available on Circle’s website (the "Website"). |
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I.08 |
Key information about the offer and/ or admission to trading
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EURC is only available for issuance through the Circle Mint service and it is accessible only to institutions located in supported jurisdictions. For a complete list of currently supported jurisdictions, please consult our Website. EURC is listed across different regulated crypto-asset service providers and Circle SAS intends to seek its admission to trading on future MiCA-compliant trading platforms. |
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PART A - INFORMATION ABOUT THE ISSUER OF THE E-MONEY TOKEN
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A.1 |
Statutory name
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Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS ("Circle SAS") |
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A.2 |
Trading name
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Circle France |
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A.3 |
Legal form
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Not applicable as LEI is provided in A.7 |
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A.4 |
Registered address
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Not applicable as LEI is provided in A.7 |
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A.5 |
Head office
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Not applicable as LEI is provided in A.7 |
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A.6 |
Registration date
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2023-07-10 |
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A.7 |
Legal entity identifier
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969500OYUDADGZKCR583 |
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A.8 |
Another identifier required pursuant to applicable law
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953 990 934 RCS Paris |
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A.9 |
Contact telephone number
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+33 (1) 59000130 |
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A.10 |
E-mail address
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A.11 |
Response time (Days)
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7 |
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A.12 |
Parent company
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Not applicable as LEI is provided in A.7 |
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A.13 |
Members of the management body
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A.14 |
Business activity
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Circle SAS is a Digital Asset Services Provider registered with the AMF under number E2024-111, authorised to provide digital assets custody and trading of digital assets against other digital assets since April 15th, 2024. |
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A.15 |
Parent company business activity
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Circle Internet Group, Inc. is the holding company for the Circle group of companies. Its shares have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since June 5th, 2025. |
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A.16 |
Conflicts of interest disclosure
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We frequently engage with a wide variety of blockchain and digital asset industry participants, as well as startups and growth companies, and maintain relationships with a significant number of crypto-asset projects, developers, and investors. These transactions and relationships could create potential conflicts of interest in management decisions that we make. For instance, certain of our officers, directors, and employees are active investors in crypto-asset projects and other growth companies themselves, and may make investment decisions that favor projects in which they have personally invested. Many of our large shareholders also make investments in these projects. |
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A.17 |
Issuance of other crypto-assets
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True |
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A.18 |
Activities related to other crypto-assets
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True |
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A.19 |
Connection between the issuer and the entity running the DLT
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True |
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A.20 |
Description of the connection between the issuer and the entity running the DLT
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Circle SAS offers EURC on 5 blockchains: Avalanche, Base, Ethereum, Stellar, and Solana. Circle SAS will likely add additional blockchain support in the future and update the relevant sections of the White Paper accordingly.
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A.21 |
Newly Established
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True |
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A.22 |
Financial condition for the past three years
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Not applicable |
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A.23 |
Financial condition since registration
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Circle SAS was created on June 30th, 2023. |
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A.24 |
Exemption from authorisation
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False |
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A.25 |
E-money Token Authorisation
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Circle SAS is a licensed Electronic Money Institution under n°737158 and a registered Digital Assets Services Provider in France under n°E2024-111.
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A.26 |
Authorisation Authority
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French Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) |
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A.27 |
Persons other than the issuer offering to the public or seeking admission to trading of the e-money token in accordance with Article 51(1), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114
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Not applicable. |
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A.28 |
Persons other than the issuer offering to the public or seeking admission to trading of the e-money token in accordance with Article 51(1), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114
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Not applicable.
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PART B - INFORMATION ABOUT THE E-MONEY TOKEN
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B.1 |
Name
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Not applicable as a DTI is provided in field B.12 |
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B.2 |
Abbreviation
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Not applicable as a DTI is provided in field B.12 |
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B.3 |
Details of all natural or legal persons involved in design and development
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A DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE E-MONEY TOKEN, INCLUDING THE DATA NECESSARY FOR CLASSIFICATION OF THE CRYPTO-ASSET WHITE PAPER IN THE REGISTER REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 109, AS SPECIFIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 8 OF THAT ARTICLE
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B.4 |
Type of white paper
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EMTW |
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B.5 |
The type of submission
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MODI |
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B.6 |
Crypto-Asset Characteristics
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EURC is defined as an e-money token pursuant to Article 3.1(7) of MiCA.
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B.7 |
Website of the issuer
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B.8 |
Starting date of offer to the public or admission to trading
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July 1st, 2024 |
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B.9 |
Publication date
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May 31st, 2024 and amended on September 12th, 2024 and December 24th, 2025. |
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B.10 |
Any other services provided by the issuer
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Circle SAS is a registered Digital Assets Services Provider in France under n°E2024-111. It provides digital assets custody and trading of digital assets against other digital assets.
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B.11 |
Language or languages of the white paper
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English |
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B.12 |
Digital token identifier code used to uniquely identify the crypto-asset or each of the several crypto assets to which the white paper relates, where available
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B.13 |
Functionally fungible group digital token identifier, where available
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13XTMPZT3 |
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B.14 |
Personal data flag
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True |
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B.15 |
LEI eligibility
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True |
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B.16 |
Home member state
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France |
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B.17 |
Host member states
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Circle SAS license to issue, distribute and redeem electronic money is passported in the following countries:
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PART C - INFORMATION ABOUT THE OFFER TO THE PUBLIC OF THE E-MONEY TOKEN OR ITS ADMISSION TO TRADING
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C.1 |
Public offering or trading
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OTPC |
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C.2 |
Number of units
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Not applicable as the supply of EURC is not limited to any fixed amount within its minting smart contract. There is no limitation in terms of the number of EURC to be offered to the public or admitted to trading.
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C.3 |
Trading platforms name
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EURC is supported by major global regulated digital asset services providers operating in the EEA and outside the EEA, including for example Coinbase, Bitstamp, Bitvavo, Kraken and ZBX. Circle SAS intends to maintain these listings as long as doing so remains compliant with Applicable Laws, and will continue to seek admission to trading for EURC across future MiCA-compliant trading platforms. |
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C.4 |
Trading platforms market identifier code (MIC)
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EURC is listed on numerous trading platforms, including (for those having an MIC): |
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C.5 |
Applicable law
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France |
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C.6 |
Competent court
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Any dispute with the offer to the public of EURC in the EEA shall be brought exclusively in the Commercial courts of Paris, France except where prohibited by the laws of France (the "Applicable Laws") |
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PART D - INFORMATION ON THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ATTACHED TO E-MONEY TOKENS
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D.1 |
Holder’s rights and obligations |
EURC issued by Circle SAS is an EMT subject to MiCA regulation and Applicable Laws. Under these regulations, EMT means a type of crypto-asset that purports to maintain a stable value by referencing the value of one official currency.
More information on the redemption of EURC is provided in the Circle SAS Redemption Policy available on Circle’s Website. The holding of EURC will not result in: (i) the creation or imposition of any lien upon any property, asset, or revenue of Circle SAS or (ii) the creation of any shareholding or ownership interest in Circle SAS, Circle LLC, or any of their respective affiliates. By holding, using, or accessing EURC, EURC holders further represent and warrant that:
EURC holders accept that Circle SAS reserves the right to block certain EURC addresses that it determines, in its sole discretion, may be associated with illegal activity or activity that otherwise violates Circle SAS’s Terms of Use and/or this White Paper ("Blocked Addresses"). In certain circumstances, Circle SAS may deem it necessary to report such suspected illegal activity to relevant law enforcement agencies and EURC holders may forfeit any rights associated with their EURC, including the ability to redeem EURC for EUR. Circle SAS may also be required to freeze EURC and/or surrender associated EUR-assets held in segregated accounts in the event it receives a legal order from a valid government authority requiring it to do so. EURC is also issued and redeemed in accordance with Circle's Stablecoin Access Denial Policy. Circle SAS reserves the right to block the transfer of EURC to and from an address on chain as permitted under such policy. EURC holders shall hold and use EURC exclusively for their own account and shall in no case be considered as nominees or agents of Circle SAS, unless otherwise expressly agreed in written form by Circle SAS. EURC holders are duly informed that Circle SAS’s liability (and its affiliates, its respective officers, directors, agents, joint venturers, employees, and suppliers) is limited to what is expressly provided in the Applicable Laws and the present White Paper. In particular (but without limitation), EURC holders are duly informed and acknowledge that Circle SAS shall bear no liability with regard to i) their use of EURC ; (ii) claims or issue concerning the cost of procurement of substitute goods and services resulting from any goods, data, information, or services purchased or obtained or messages received or transactions entered into involving EURC; or (iii) unauthorised access to or alteration of EURC holders transmissions or data incurred by the use of EURC. In this respect, to the full extent permissible by Applicable Laws, Circle SAS disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. To the full extent permissible by Applicable Laws, Circle SAS shall not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from the use of EURC, including, but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, and consequential damages.
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D.2 |
Conditions of modifications of rights and obligations
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The rights and obligations associated with EURC and applicable to EURC holders are available in the Redemption Policy and Terms of Use available on Circle’s Website. Circle SAS reserves the right to amend these rights and obligations from time to time, and will inform its customers of such changes through amendments of this White Paper or the Redemption Policy on Circle’s Website, oor through any other channel of communication considered valid, including on Circle’s Website. As provided by Article 51 of MiCA regulation, any significant new factor, any material mistake, or any material inaccuracy that would be capable of affecting the assessment of EURC will be described in a modified version of this White Paper and notified to the competent authorities and published on Circle’s Website, except when these modifications are related to the implementation by Circle SAS of its Recovery Plan or Redemption Plan (please refer to Sections D.4 and D.5 below).
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D.3 |
Description of the rights of the holders
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Should it become insolvent, Circle SAS has implemented high standards for safe and sound financial management of its business. In a situation of financial duress or in periods of economic uncertainty, Circle SAS has established contingency plans to prevent any impact on its activities, including the issuance of EURC, or the rights of EURC holders. Where Circle SAS is not able to fulfill its obligations or in the event of insolvency, the EURC Reserves are duly protected in compliance with the Applicable Laws. In particular, the funds received in exchange for issuance of EURC are protected against any recourse by other creditors of Circle SAS, including in the event of enforcement proceedings or insolvency proceedings against Circle SAS. If a situation of financial duress or insolvency were to occur, Circle SAS will implement its Recovery and/or Redemption Plan to allow EURC holders to exercise their redemption rights on EURC as further specified in Sections D.4 and D.5 below. |
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D.4 |
Rights in implementation of recovery plan
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Depending on the specific circumstance(s) under which the Recovery Plan implemented by Circle SAS in compliance with Article 55 of MiCA might be triggered, Circle SAS may have to impose one or more specific restrictions on the redemption of EURC. EURC holders will be duly informed about any such restrictions on Circle’s Website. Customers will also be informed via their Circle Mint Account or another valid means of communication between Circle SAS and the Customer. For instance, Circle SAS may temporarily impose:
Example actions listed above don’t constitute an exhaustive list; other actions may be taken by Circle SAS in accordance with its Recovery Plan. |
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D.5 |
Rights in implementation of redemption plan
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The Redemption Plan implemented by Circle SAS in compliance with Article 55 of MiCA is an operational plan to support the orderly redemption of EURC in circulation. The Redemption Plan will be triggered upon a decision by the ACPR, if Circle SAS is unable or likely to be unable to fulfill its obligations, including in the case of insolvency, resolution, or the withdrawal of authorisation of Circle SAS as an E-Money Institution. The processes set forth in the Redemption Plan will be established with a view to ensuring the equitable treatment of all EURC holders and the protection of the right of redemption attached to EURC as described above. If the ACPR triggers the implementation of the Redemption Plan, any individual claim under Section D.1 above will be suspended. Circle SAS will commence the orderly redemption for all EURC holders in an equitable manner. As part of this process, a notice will be published informing all EURC holders about the process and timelines to submit their redemption claim. Specifically, the notice will describe the main steps of the redemption process, including the exact date and time when the redemption plan has been activated, the minimum information necessary to file a redemption claim, where the claim should be filed, and the time frame within which EURC holders are required to file their claim. The notice will also contain important information regarding redemption conditions and technical support. Redemption requests submitted via a redemption claim form will be subject to certain eligibility criteria described in the Redemption Policy, and as further specified in the Redemption Plan notice information, including their identity, their token holdings, AML/CFT compliance, their bank account details, and other information required to file their redemption request.
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D.6 |
Complaint submission contact
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If you have a complaint, please first contact Circle SAS at [email protected], or visit the Circle Support Portal. |
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D.7 |
Complaints handling procedures
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EURC holders can file a complaint by leaving a message at the contact number provided in Section A.9 or filing it through the customer support email address or Circle Support Portal. Upon receiving a complaint, the Customer Care Team member will log the case and escalate it to a Customer Care Manager. The Customer Care Manager is responsible for reviewing the details of the complaint. Circle SAS handles complaints submitted by its direct Customers or by EURC holders experiencing issues with the EURC redemption process for their EURC. However, complaints relating to the purchase of EURC from third parties or to the loss of tokens held in self-custody or custodied with third parties fall outside the scope of Circle SAS’s Customer Care support. If appropriate, all details and data will be compiled and escalated to the Legal Department. When such an escalation occurs, the Legal Department is responsible for investigating the case and working towards closure. If escalated to the Legal Department, all communications with the customer will be instructed by the Legal Department. The Customer Care Department will remain actively involved in any customer complaint or service requirement and serves as a first line of support and an advocate for customers prior to any internal escalation.
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D.8 |
Dispute resolution mechanism
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In the event that Circle SAS’s response to their complaint is not satisfactory, EURC holders and customers can refer their claim to the ACPR:
Banque de France - ACPR
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D.9 |
Token value protection schemes
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True |
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D.10 |
Token value protection schemes description
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As a MiCA compliant regulated e-money token, EURC will be fully backed by an equivalent amount of EUR-denominated assets held by Circle SAS with regulated financial institutions in segregated accounts apart from Circle SAS’s corporate funds, on behalf of, and for the benefit of, EURC holders. |
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D.11 |
Compensation schemes
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False |
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D.12 |
Not applicable. |
Not applicable. |
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D.13 |
Applicable law
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France |
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D.14 |
Competent court
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Any dispute concerning the rights and obligations of residents arising out of the use or ownership of EURC shall be brought exclusively to the Commercial courts of Paris, France, except where provided otherwise by Applicable Laws.
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PART E - INFORMATION ON THE UNDERLYING TECHNOLOGY
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E.1 |
Distributed ledger technology
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Not applicable as DTI is provided in B.13
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E.2 |
Protocols and technical standards
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Circle SAS supports EURC on 5 blockchains during its launch phase, including Ethereum, Avalanche, Solana, Stellar and Base ("EURC Supported Blockchains"). Circle SAS will likely add additional blockchain support in the future and will update the list of EURC Supported Blockchains on its Website. Circle SAS has developed its technical e-money token specification for deploying EURC on Ethereum-Virtual-Machine ("EVM") compatible base layers. This specification extends the existing ERC-20 fungible token standard with additional core functionality required for Circle SAS, for example the blocklisting feature that allows Circle SAS to prevent specific blockchain addresses from sending and receiving EURC. For not natively EVM compatible networks (Solana, Stellar), Circle SAS has assessed the existing available Token Standards for each base layer and deployed EURC on the Token Standard that is best suited for Circle SAS’s specifications and required functionality.
EURC is deployed using upgradeable smart contract architectures via the proxy patterns of the Universal Upgradeable Proxy Standard (UUPS) – introduced via ERC-1822 – on Avalanche, Base, and Ethereum. These implementations allow the contract logic to be modified without changing the token address. Solana and Stellar’s native token standards follow their own upgradeable proxy model. The upgradeable smart contract architectures include the UUPS proxy pattern, allowing contract logic to be updated without changing the token address. Despite these additions, the contracts preserve the expected ERC-20 behaviour, such as transfer, approve, and balance. While EURC is available on 5 blockchain networks to date, Circle will likely add additional blockchain support in the future and will update the list of EURC Supported Blockchains on its Website. Circle may, based on factors such as transaction volumes or compliance considerations, decide to discontinue support for certain EURC Supported Blockchains. In such cases, the process for exchange or redemption by EURC holders on the affected blockchains will be published on its Website. |
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E.3 |
Technology used
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EURC integrates with a range of supporting technologies beyond its smart contract implementations. Circle provides fiat on- and off-ramp functionality, transaction monitoring, and identity verification workflows, facilitating compliance-aligned integrations for exchanges, custodians, and fintech platforms. |
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E.4 |
Purchaser’s technical requirements |
Circle Mint, Circle SAS’s service that allows its customers to access EURC directly from Circle SAS, is currently only available to institutions located in supported jurisdictions. Circle Mint is subject to Circle SAS’s Terms of Use. The purchase of EURC on the secondary market, for example, with EU-regulated trading platforms, is available to all users of these third-party platforms. Most third-party trading and exchange services provided by regulated crypto-asset service providers are open to retail customers as well and subject to their own compliance requirements. Prospective EURC holders must use wallets compatible with the blockchains on which EURC is natively issued. Usage of EURC requires the EURC holders to cover network fees, which may be gas fees on Ethereum and Layer 2s (Base) and transaction fees on other blockchains. |
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E.5 |
Consensus mechanism
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Not applicable as EURC is a token and therefore does not have a consensus mechanism. EURC runs on base layers, which may be blockchains or layer-2 networks, in turn based on blockchains. Blockchains rely on consensus mechanisms to ensure their decentralised network of nodes can reach agreement around transaction validity and ordering.
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E.6 |
Incentive mechanisms and applicable fees
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Each blockchain we support has developed its own incentive mechanisms and request fees to realise transactions. |
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E.7 |
Use of distributed ledger technology
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False |
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E.8 |
DLT functionality description
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Not applicable. |
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E.9 |
Audit |
True
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E.10 |
Audit outcome |
Circle LLC, as technical provider to Circle SAS, is responsible for ensuring that its smart contracts are developed in a safe and secure manner. As such, Circle works with industry leading security auditing firms such as Chain Security, Kudelski, Halborn, and others, to audit every EURC smart contract prior to launch or upgrade. |
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PART F - INFORMATION ON RISKS
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F.1 |
Issuer-related risks
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As part of the EURC issuance process, Circle SAS is exposed to several risks:
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F.2 |
Token-related risks
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The EURC token also exposes its holder to several risks:
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F.3 |
Technology-related risks
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Purchasing and using EURC may also expose the holder to technological risks.
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F.4 |
Mitigation measures
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Regarding the different risks identified in Sections F1, F2 and F3, Circle SAS implements appropriate measures to mitigate these risks and protect its customers, as follows:
Circle SAS has implemented a comprehensive Risk Management and Internal Control Framework grounded in the Three Lines of Defense model. The first line, comprising business and operational teams, owns and manages risks in day-to-day activities. The second line, composed of compliance, security and risk management functions, provides independent oversight and ensures policies, controls, and processes are robust and effective. The third line, internal audit, conducts independent assessments of the control environment. Circle SAS performs regular and proactive risk assessments to identify, evaluate, and address evolving threats and vulnerabilities. The company enforces a permanent control system that includes regular testing, incident tracking, and corrective action follow-ups. Ongoing training and awareness initiatives further embed a strong risk culture across the organization, ensuring that staff remain vigilant and empowered to uphold the highest standards of integrity and compliance. 1.1. Bankruptcy Risks. While there is no legal precedent, Circle SAS's bankruptcy should have no impact on the rights of EURC holders. If Circle SAS goes bankrupt, the EURC Reserves are protected by Applicable Law and cannot be used to compensate Circle SAS’s other creditors. Bank accounts used by Circle SAS for the EURC Reserves are safeguarded from Circle SAS creditors as provided by Applicable Law. Any EURC will be refunded to its holders as part of Circle SAS's bankruptcy proceedings, without the holder necessarily having to file a claim for compensation. 1.2. Third-party Risks. When Circle SAS relies on a third party to provide services that are important to EURC, Circle SAS generally enters into an agreement containing specific clauses ensuring that the service provider cannot terminate the business relationship without advanced notice. Some of these agreements (such as the agreements concerning the safeguarding accounts used to invest the EURC Reserves) are also subject to regulatory obligations. In addition, Circle SAS implements internal procedures whose purpose is to limit disruption in the event that an important service provider terminates an agreement or becomes unable to provide its services to Circle SAS. Finally, third parties with whom Circle SAS contracts are subject to due diligence procedures to ensure their financial viability and to limit any other risks of non-compliance. To further mitigate dependency risk, Circle SAS applies a diversification strategy, aiming to avoid excessive concentration with any single banking, custody, or operational partner. This includes maintaining relationships with multiple safeguarding institutions and service providers where feasible, regularly assessing diversification metrics, and establishing contingency options to ensure operational continuity in the event of a third-party failure or service interruption. 1.3. Market Risks. Circle SAS’s systems and procedures are set up in a way that ensures that EURC redemptions will occur in the timeframe set out in the Redemption Policy, even if volatility in crypto-asset markets causes a significant increase in redemption requests. 1.4. Risks of Loss. The redemption right of eligible EURC holders remains exercisable even if Circle SAS suffers a loss at the level of the safeguarded assets. As is required under Applicable Law, Circle SAS is well-capitalised and funded and, as an electronic money institution, Circle SAS is subject to regulatory capital and own-funds requirements. In the event that the loss should exceed Circle SAS’s ability to redeem the EURC holders, the EURC Recovery Plan or the EURC Redemption Plan may be triggered. 1.5. AML/CFT Risks. Each EURC redemption request to Circle SAS requires the holder to comply with the laws and regulations applicable to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing in the EU. Moreover, if Circle SAS determines that EURC transactions linked to public addresses are likely to be associated with criminal offenses, Circle SAS may decide to freeze the associated EURC (temporarily or permanently). Also, if Circle SAS receives an injunction from a competent authority to freeze EURC, Circle SAS will comply with such a request. 1.6. Personal Data Risks. Pursuant to the GDPR, Circle SAS is required to take all necessary precautions with regard to the nature of the data and the risks presented by the processing of such data, to preserve the security of EURC holders' personal data and, in particular, to prevent it from being distorted, damaged, or accessed by unauthorised third parties. 2. Mitigation measures concerning the token-related risks 2.1. Financial Stability Risks. EURC has been issued since 2018 and has withstood several major volatility events and liquidity crises. Circle SAS’s internal procedures ensure that EURC can reliably be used by market participants and market infrastructures under all market conditions. 2.2. Secondary Market Price Dislocation Risk. Circle SAS expects that any disparity between the EURC price and EUR on secondary markets would be promptly resolved by market participants (i.e. buying EURC for less than 1 EUR on the secondary market and redeeming it at par value with Circle SAS), as any participant will be entitled to redeem at par with Circle SAS. Otherwise, if the price dislocation is caused by an inadequacy of the EURC Reserves or other liquidity issues, Circle SAS will apply the measures set out in its Recovery Plan or Redemption Plan. 2.3. Risks of Under-Collateralisation. If the EURC Reserves become lower than the outstanding quantity of EURC in circulation, Circle SAS will apply the measures set out in its Recovery Plan or Redemption Plan. These plans include measures that could resolve the under-collateralisation through, for example, a strengthening of Circle SAS’s capital position 2.4. Liquidity Risk. Circle SAS will implement a Redemption Policy designed to ensure the prompt redemption of EURC and to respond to scenarios of extreme demand for redemption in unfavorable market conditions. Circle also looks to expand its settlement banking footprint with major banking partners to limit Liquidity Risk. 2.5. Scam Risks. Circle SAS cannot prevent all attempts to defraud or scams in connection with EURC. The general terms and conditions relating to EURC issuance specify that Circle SAS is not liable for this type of loss. From time to time, Circle SAS will inform its clients of such risks through various channels. 2.6. Taxation Risks. The tax consequences of EURC transactions should be assessed at the level of each EURC holder. It is the sole responsibility of EURC holders to address taxation risks in consideration of their personal situation. Circle SAS does not provide, nor accept responsibility for, any legal, tax or accounting advice. If EURC holders are unsure regarding any of the legal, tax or accounting aspects of their situation regarding EURC, they should seek independent professional advice. 3. Mitigation measures concerning technology-related risks 3.1. Blockchain related Risks. While risks exist for all blockchain networks, blockchain networks used by Circle SAS to issue EURC are recognised for their high level of security and have generally withstood several major events without any interruption to their normal functioning. Before launching EURC on any new blockchain, Circle SAS conducts thorough due diligence, including blockchain-level security audits, as well as the review of the history of the blockchain, the level of decentralisation, and the degree of resilience or activity on the network. 3.2. Smart Contract Risks. To reinforce the resilience of the smart contracts for EURC issuance, Circle SAS is making the contract addresses linked to EURC issuance open-source so that anyone can consult them and alert Circle SAS in the event of a default. The code source of the smart contracts is publicly available in real time. In addition, each smart contract relating to EURC issuance has been audited. In the event of a modification to the source code, the smart contract is audited again to ensure that no potential security exploit can be used to fraudulently use the EURC mint or burn system or to circumvent its initial use by other means. More specific information on the audits carried out on the EURC is detailed in Section E.3. 3.3. Settlement Finality or Irrevocability of Blockchain Transactions. Circle SAS cannot prevent blockchain transactions from being irreversible and in many cases, will not be able to mitigate this risk, noting that irrevocability is also a major security element of blockchain networks. Circle SAS will not be held liable for this type of loss. From time to time, Circle SAS will inform its clients of such risks through various channels of communication. 3.4. Security Program. Circle SAS is supported by a dedicated cybersecurity team that monitors the technology environment 24/7, implements multiple layers of security defenses, and performs ongoing security scanning and testing. |
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G – Information on the sustainability indicators in relation to adverse impact on the climate and other environment-related adverse impacts |
Mandatory Information on principal adverse impacts on the climate
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General Information |
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S.1 |
Name |
Circle Internet Financial Europe SAS |
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S.2 |
Relevant legal entity identifier |
969500OYUDADGZKCR583 |
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S.3 |
Name of the crypto-asset |
EURC |
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S.4 |
Consensus Mechanism |
Not applicable as EURC is a token and therefore does not have a consensus mechanism. EURC runs on base layers, which may be blockchains or layer-2 networks, in turn based on blockchains. Blockchains rely on consensus mechanisms to ensure their decentralised network of nodes can reach agreement around transaction validity and ordering. |
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S.5 |
Incentive Mechanisms and Applicable Fees |
Each blockchain we support has developed its own incentive mechanisms and request fees to realise transactions.
Please refer to the website of each of these blockchains for more details on the mechanisms in place. |
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S.6 |
Beginning of the period to which the disclosure relates |
2024-10-17 |
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S.7 |
End of the period to which the disclosure relates |
2025-10-16 |
Mandatory key indicator on energy consumption
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N |
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Content |
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General Information |
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S.8 |
Energy consumption |
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Sources and methodologies |
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S.9 |
Energy consumption sources and methodologies |
Data provided by the MiCA Crypto Alliance as a third party, with no deviations from the calculation guidance of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/422, Article 6(5). As the base layers are decentralised networks, estimates on individual node power draw are used. Full methodology available at: www.micacryptoalliance.com/methodologies |
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Supplementary Information on the principal adverse impacts on the climate and other environment-related adverse impacts of the consensus mechanism
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Supplementary key indicators on energy and GHG emissions |
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S.10 |
Renewable energy consumption |
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S.11 |
Energy intensity |
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S.12 |
Scope 1 DLT GHG emissions – controlled |
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S.13 |
Scope 2 DLT GHG emissions – purchased |
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S.14 |
GHG intensity |
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Sources and methodologies |
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S.15 |
Key energy sources and methodologies |
Data provided by the MiCA Crypto Alliance as a third party, with no deviations from the calculation guidance of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/422, Article 6(5). Full methodology available at: www.micacryptoalliance.com/methodologies |
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S.16 |
Key GHG sources and methodologies |
Data provided by the MiCA Crypto Alliance as a third party, with no deviations from the calculation guidance of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/422, Article 6(5). Full methodology available at: www.micacryptoalliance.com/methodologies |
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