Circle files trademark applications for USDC, EURC, etc. in Korea…Interest in its moves in the Korean market

It has been confirmed that Circle, the issuer of USDC, the world's second-largest stablecoin, filed related trademark applications in Korea.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office's intellectual property information search service on the 23rd, Circle Internet Group filed trademarks for 'CIRCLE', 'USDC', 'EURC' and the Arc logo on the 11th–12th of this month.

'CIRCLE' is a form combining Circle's English name and logo, and USDC and EURC are the names of dollar- and euro-based stablecoins, respectively. Arc is a stablecoin- and finance-focused blockchain mainnet built by Circle, and this time it was filed as a logo rather than a word mark.

The trademark applications were handled by three people, including attorneys and patent attorneys from the Kim & Chang law firm, and the designated goods/services reportedly include related business areas such as stablecoin trading and currency exchange.

This is not the first time a major overseas stablecoin issuer has filed trademarks in Korea. The issuer of the world's largest stablecoin, USDT, Tether, also filed 'TETHER' in 2019 and 'kUSDT' in 2022. Later, in 2025 when discussions about a won-pegged stablecoin intensified, it additionally registered names such as 'KRWT' and 'WONTETHER'.

However, unlike Tether, which included trademarks that suggested the possibility of a won-linked stablecoin, Circle's recent filings differ in that they are focused on securing rights to its brand, existing stablecoins, and blockchain services. Since trademark filings are generally regarded as preliminary steps to gain market preemption or to enter a market, the industry is paying attention to the possibility that Circle will expand its presence in the Korean market.