📅 October 7–14, 2026
💵 A mint is not a Bitcoin buy
Stablecoin supply is often treated as a shortcut for measuring fresh money entering crypto. This week’s data shows why that can be misleading.
Circle reports that over the latest seven days $8.6bn USDC was issued, while $10.1bn was redeemed. The result? USDC circulation actually fell by $1.5bn to $72.7bn.
And even when net supply rises, those tokens do not automatically become Bitcoin buyers. Stablecoins can be used for payments, cross-border transfers, collateral, DeFi, institutional settlement or simply held in wallets.
The chain traders should watch is:
issuance → net circulation → destination → exchange/OTC flows → actual BTC buying.
📱 Stablecoins move closer to everyday payments
Samsung announced that USDC functionality is coming to Samsung Wallet in the US in the last week of October. Eligible users will be able to send USDC to compatible crypto wallets and eligible bank accounts in 60+ countries.
That is a major adoption story, but primarily a payments story, not automatically new demand for Bitcoin.
🏛️ Regulation is tightening too
The Financial Stability Board put global stablecoins on the G20 agenda this week, highlighting cross-border vulnerabilities, data gaps and the need for stronger international cooperation.
🇪🇺 ESMA also told EU regulators that MiCA-authorised crypto firms should stop offering services involving non-compliant stablecoins, with existing exposures to be addressed within three months.
₿ Bitcoin
Bitcoin was trading around $83,700-$84,000 on October 14, while markets continued to digest the Fed outlook. New York Fed President John Williams said another rate increase could still be appropriate this year, but he currently sees no need for further hikes in 2027.
🤓 Fun fact: Samsung says its new stablecoin functionality will be available across 82 million eligible Galaxy devices in the US. Users will be able to access USDC directly through Samsung Wallet without installing a separate crypto app.
💡 Bottom line: Stablecoins can represent potential crypto liquidity, but new tokens ≠ new money ≠ new Bitcoin buyers.
Watch where the liquidity actually goes. 👀
🪙 NordFX Crypto News of the Week: More Stablecoins ≠ More Bitcoin Buyers was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.