Circle has just minted an additional $1 billion worth of USDC, targeting institutional investors seeking to leverage the stablecoin’s liquidity benefits. This move has significantly boosted USDC supply on both Ethereum and Solana networks, directly impacting various decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. 📈 🤯 While this increase in USDC supply aims to stabilize DeFi markets amidst heightened volatility, it has triggered notable price fluctuations across cryptocurrencies. ETH prices surged above $3,200 for a brief period, while BTC experienced significant whale activity estimated at $24.18 million, possibly reflecting strategic adjustments around stablecoin demand.