Overview
- Circle replaced a blanket prohibition on “weapons of any kind” with a ban only on transactions in contravention of applicable laws.
- To the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the company said USDC may be used for lawful firearms purchases and stated it has not and will not deny such transactions.
- Republican Senators Cynthia Lummis and Bill Hagerty praised the move, framing it as a defense of Second Amendment rights and a rejection of Choke Point-style restrictions.
- Critics argued the reversal shows centralized stablecoin issuers remain susceptible to political pressure and potential censorship.
- Circle’s terms still allow the company to monitor or block transactions and suspend accounts, and reporting notes uncertainty about when the original restriction began or how it was enforced.