Jeremy Allaire

Jeremy D. Allaire was born May 13, 1971, and is Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Circle, bringing more than two decades of experience building and leading global internet software platforms. In 2026 he was named to the TIME100 list of the 100 most influential people in the world, recognized for understanding that "the internet didn't win because of any single application...it won because of open, interoperable infrastructure."

Allaire graduated from Macalester College in 1993 with a degree in political science and philosophy, with a concentration in economics. He was educated in the Montessori tradition, which he says "built into me a belief in self-direction, in independent thought, in peer collaboration, in responsibility". From 1990 until his graduation, Allaire became obsessed with the Internet and how it could be applied to transform systems of communications and media, as well as its impact on fundamental human rights, such as free speech.

Career history

• 1995–2001: Co-founder and CTO of Allaire Corporation, which created ColdFusion web development platform. Allaire Corporation had its IPO in January 1999 and was acquired by Macromedia in March 2001 for $360 million.
• 2001–2003: Chief Technology Officer of Macromedia, where Allaire helped develop the Macromedia MX platform and drove platform and product strategy for Flash Player.
• 2003: Joined venture capital firm General Catalyst as a technologist and executive-in-residence.
• 2004–2013: Founded Brightcove, an online video platform. Brightcove had a successful IPO in early 2012, and Allaire stepped down as CEO in 2013 to serve as chairman of the board.
• 2013–Present: Co-founded and serves as CEO of Circle. Allaire focused on getting the basics right: one-to-one backing, independent audits, and transparency, with key victories including the July passage of the GENIUS Act, a regulatory framework. Circle launched USDC with $9 million in Series A funding in October 2013, and in June 2025, Circle went public in a showstopping IPO with stock jumping over 200% on day one.

What Jeremy Allaire could bring to Circle's future: Based on his documented track record building pioneering web infrastructure companies at the dawn of the internet era (ColdFusion at Allaire Corp, video platforms at Brightcove), Allaire is positioned to shape how stablecoins integrate into the global financial system. His recent $222 million presale for Circle's Layer 1 blockchain Arc at a $3 billion valuation suggests he sees the next chapter of stablecoin growth not just in issuing USDC, but in owning the rails upon which digital currencies run—repeating his historical pattern of identifying transformative infrastructure opportunities early.