Most crypto payment content focuses on USDC (dollar stablecoin). But if your business is in Europe or you price products in euros, there is a better option: EURC, Circle's euro stablecoin. 1 EURC = 1 EUR, always. No currency conversion, no FX spreads, no volatility.

This guide covers what EURC is, why it matters for European businesses, and how to start accepting euro payments on-chain with Fivo.

What is EURC?

EURC (Euro Coin) is a fully reserved euro stablecoin issued by Circle, the same company behind USDC. Each EURC token is backed 1:1 by euro-denominated reserves held in regulated financial institutions. The reserves are attested monthly by an independent auditor.

Issuer: Circle Internet Financial
Peg: 1 EURC = 1 EUR
Backing: 100% reserved in euro-denominated assets
Regulation: MiCA-compliant (Markets in Crypto-Assets, EU regulation)
Attestation: monthly reserve reports by Deloitte

Why EURC matters: the MiCA advantage

In July 2025, the EU began enforcing MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation), the world's first comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto assets. MiCA requires stablecoin issuers to hold full reserves, maintain transparency, and be licensed in the EU.

Circle was the first global stablecoin issuer to achieve MiCA compliance. This means EURC has a clear legal status in the European Union. For merchants, this provides regulatory certainty: you know exactly what you are accepting and that the reserves are verified.

USDT (Tether) has faced regulatory challenges under MiCA due to reserve transparency concerns. EURC has no such issues. For European businesses, EURC is the safest and most compliant euro stablecoin available.

EURC vs USDC: when to use which

Both are issued by Circle with the same transparency standards. The difference is the currency:

EURC: pegged to the euro. Best for businesses that price in euros, operate in the eurozone, or want to avoid EUR/USD conversion costs.
USDC: pegged to the US dollar. Best for businesses that price in dollars or serve a global customer base.

If you sell a product for 50 EUR and accept USDC, the customer pays the dollar equivalent (which fluctuates with the EUR/USD exchange rate), and you receive dollars that you then need to convert back to euros. With EURC, the customer pays 50 EURC and you receive exactly 50 EUR worth of stablecoins. No conversion, no FX risk.

For a European e-commerce store processing 10,000 EUR/month, FX conversion costs between USD and EUR can be 0.5% to 1.5% per conversion. Accepting EURC eliminates this cost entirely.

Where is EURC available?

EURC is natively issued on several blockchains. On Fivo, EURC is supported on:

Ethereum: the original chain for EURC, highest liquidity
Base: low-cost L2 built by Coinbase, gas fees under $0.01
Avalanche: high-performance L1 with sub-second finality

For most merchants, Base is the recommended chain for EURC payments. It offers the lowest gas fees for customers (fractions of a cent) while maintaining full security inherited from Ethereum.

EURC payments are currently same-chain only. Cross-chain EURC transfers via CCTP are not yet supported by Circle. This means the customer must be on the same chain as the merchant. USDC supports cross-chain payments across all 9 chains.

Who should accept EURC?

EURC is ideal for businesses that meet any of these criteria:

European e-commerce stores: price in euros, receive in euros. No FX risk.
SaaS companies with EUR pricing tiers: subscription payments denominated in euros without conversion fees.
Freelancers working with European clients: invoice in euros, receive EURC. Convert to fiat when convenient.
Travel and hospitality in the EU: accept payments from tourists and locals alike in euros.
B2B services in the eurozone: settle invoices in euros without bank wire delays or fees.
Any business avoiding USD/EUR FX costs: even non-EU businesses that receive many euro payments benefit from skipping currency conversion.

How to accept EURC with Fivo

Setting up EURC payments takes under 5 minutes:

1. Create a Fivo account

Register at fivo.finance/register. Choose your preferred receiving chain (Base is recommended for lowest fees). During setup, select EURC as an accepted currency alongside or instead of USDC.

2. Add the payment widget

Add the Fivo widget to your website. When EURC is enabled, your customers will see it as a payment option:

Accept EURC payments

<script async src="https://checkout.fivo.finance/v1/fivo.js"></script>

<fivo-button
  merchant-id="fivo_live_your-merchant-id"
  amount="50.00"
  currency="USDC">
</fivo-button>

<!-- Customers can choose between USDC and EURC at checkout -->

3. Test with testnet EURC

Get free testnet EURC from the Circle Faucet and run a test payment to verify everything works.

4. Go live

Switch to your production merchant ID and start accepting real EURC payments. Funds appear in your Fivo wallet instantly and you can withdraw at any time (0.5% fee on withdrawal).

EURC vs traditional euro payments

How does accepting EURC compare to traditional methods of receiving euro payments?

EURC vs traditional euro payment methods

Method              Fee              Settlement    Chargebacks
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
EURC via Fivo       0.5% withdrawal  Instant       None
SEPA transfer       0 to 1 EUR       1 business d  None
Credit card (EUR)   1.5% to 2.5%     2 to 5 days   Yes ($15-25)
PayPal (EUR)        2.49% + 0.35 EUR 1 to 3 days   Yes
Wise (international) 0.5% to 1%      1 to 2 days   None

EURC combines the lowest cost with the fastest settlement. Unlike SEPA, it works 24/7 (no weekends or bank holidays). Unlike cards and PayPal, there are no chargebacks. And unlike international wires, there are no intermediary bank fees.

The competitive landscape for EURC

Almost no crypto payment gateway supports EURC as a native payment method. Here is the current landscape:

Fivo: native EURC support on Ethereum, Base, and Avalanche. 0.5% fee.
BitPay: EURC available for settlement (payouts) but not as a primary payment acceptance method.
Stripe: no EURC support. Only USDC, USDP, and USDG.
Coinbase Commerce: no EURC support (and shutting down March 2026).
NOWPayments: no EURC support.
CoinGate: no EURC support (though they offer EUR fiat settlement).

This makes Fivo the only dedicated payment gateway where merchants can accept EURC payments directly from customers. For businesses targeting the European market, this is a significant first-mover advantage.

The future of EURC

EURC adoption is accelerating. With MiCA enforcement creating regulatory clarity across the EU, businesses are increasingly comfortable using regulated stablecoins. Circle has announced plans to expand EURC to more blockchains and add CCTP support for cross-chain transfers.

The eurozone is the second largest economy in the world. As stablecoin payments go mainstream, euro-denominated stablecoins will follow the same adoption curve that USDC has seen for dollar payments. Merchants who start accepting EURC now are positioning themselves ahead of this trend.

The bottom line

EURC is the most underutilized opportunity in crypto payments today. It eliminates FX conversion costs for euro businesses, settles instantly, has zero chargebacks, and is fully MiCA-compliant. Almost no competitors support it, which means less competition for merchants who adopt it early.

If your business operates in euros, accepting EURC is the most cost-effective and regulation-friendly way to receive stablecoin payments. Create a free Fivo account and start accepting EURC today.

How to Accept EURC Payments: The Complete Guide for European Businesses