Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest Buys $5.5 Million in Circle Shares After Q1 Earnings

Ark Invest, led by Cathie Wood, bought about $5.5 million worth of Circle Internet Group shares on Monday after Circle reported first-quarter results and its stock closed nearly 16% higher.

“Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest chases Circle stock as it hits a 2-month high Circle shares rose 16% to $131”

@coindesk

The purchases totaled 41,904 Circle shares across three exchange-traded funds, according to Ark’s May 11 trading report, and Circle shares closed at $131.76 on Monday.

@coindesk

CoinDesk said the Ark purchase was its first since March 24, when it bought $16.3 million worth, and that the stock rose 16% to $131.76, the highest closing price since March 18.

Circle’s first-quarter 2026 results included total revenue of $694 million, up 20% year-over-year, and net income that fell 15% year-over-year to $55 million.

Circle said USDC in circulation rose 28% year-over-year to $77 billion at quarter-end, while on-chain USDC transaction volume increased 263% year-over-year to $21.5 trillion during the quarter.

CoinCentral also reported that Circle’s on-platform USDC balances reached $13.7 billion, equal to 18% of total supply, and that Circle Payments Network annualized transaction volume approached $10 billion with 136 financial institutions onboarded as of May 7.

Benzinga

The ARC token presale was a key part of the earnings narrative, with CoinDesk noting Circle revealed a $222 million raise for its Arc blockchain in a presale of the ARC token.

TradingKey tied the stock move to Circle’s GAAP EPS of $0.21 and said the company’s ARC ecosystem token presale raised $222 million from major institutions, while operating expenses eroded net profit.

Benzinga framed Ark’s Circle trade as part of a broader set of moves, saying Ark increased its stake in Circle by acquiring 41,904 shares across ARKF, ARKK, and ARKW, worth about $5.5 million at the last close of $131.76.

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Benzinga also reported Circle’s reserve income increased 17% to $653 million, and that wallets holding more than $10 in USDC climbed 47% to 7.2 million.

TradingKey said future stock performance is critically dependent on the CLARITY Act, which could significantly impact USDC’s circulation and Circle’s business model.

TradingKey added that if the bill is rejected, “the very survival of USDC could become problematic,” while if it is passed, Circle could implement plans to promote USDC circulation and trading.