Circle launches euro-backed EURC on Base, enabling layer-2 forex trades

Stablecoin issuer Circle launched its euro-backed stablecoin, EURC, on the Base network, adding to the list of networks where the coin can be natively issued and traded, according to a July 9 announcement.

EURC was previously only available in native form on Avalanche, Ethereum, Solana and Stellar. The addition of Base marks the first time that EURC has become available on an Ethereum layer 2. Previously, layer 2s could only use a derivative form of EURC backed by versions that existed on other networks.

In its announcement, Circle claimed that the new version will make it easier for e-commerce applications to facilitate trade globally.

The Base versions of EURC and the US-dollar-backed USDC Coin ( USDC ) are “the first stablecoins on Base from a global issuer to be compliant with the new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation,” the announcement stated.

Crypto exchange Bitstamp previously announced that it was delisting EURC’s competitor, Tether’s EURT, on the grounds that it was allegedly not compliant with the MiCA  framework.

Related: Circle becomes first global stablecoin issuer to comply with MiCA

The announcement may be welcome news to Base users who wish to exchange euros for dollars or vice-versa. A 2023 study concluded that forex trades performed on a blockchain can reduce costs by up to 80% .

However, Base users may have to wait a bit longer before making these trades on their preferred decentralized exchanges, as some exchanges have yet to list the new coin. A search for “EURC” on the Base versions of Aerodrome, Uniswap and BaseSwap produced no results at the time of publication.

PancakeSwap does allow the token to be traded through its “import” feature, but only after giving the user a strongly worded warning.

According to the announcement, the correct token address for EURC on the Base mainnet is 0x60a3e35cc302bfa44cb288bc5a4f316fdb1adb42.

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