Circle CEO Compares Stablecoins to 2002 Internet Era, Predicts Trillion-Dollar Future

During a Q2 2026 earnings AMA, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated that the stablecoin industry is currently at a stage comparable to the internet in 2002, projecting a multi-trillion-dollar future. Allaire emphasized Circle's focus on institutional-grade security, global operational expansion, and the integration of AI agent infrastructure. He highlighted that USDC is increasingly serving as a critical financial primitive for both micro-transactions between AI agents and large-scale institutional capital markets.