SAN FRANCISCO — Dec. 18, 2025 — SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFI) is back in the spotlight after announcing SoFiUSD, a U.S. dollar stablecoin issued by SoFi Bank, N.A. The move pushed SoFi stock higher in Thursday trading, as investors weighed what a bank-issued stablecoin could mean for SoFi’s payments ambitions, crypto comeback, and technology platform strategy. [1]
By mid-to-late afternoon on Dec. 18, SOFI traded around $26.5, up roughly 4.8% on the session, with heavy volume as the news circulated across mainstream finance outlets and fintech/crypto industry coverage. [2]
What happened today: SoFi launches SoFiUSD, a bank-issued stablecoin
SoFi said SoFiUSD is a fully reserved U.S. dollar stablecoin issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., positioning the company not only as an issuer, but also as a stablecoin infrastructure provider for banks, fintechs, and enterprise platforms. SoFi also described the launch as a first: a national bank issuing a stablecoin on a public, permissionless blockchain—with “open access” to the coin and its supporting infrastructure. [3]
In its release, SoFi emphasized three pillars it believes differentiate SoFiUSD in a crowded stablecoin market:
- Regulatory posture: SoFiUSD is issued by an OCC-regulated insured depository institution (SoFi Bank). [4]
- Reserves: SoFiUSD is described as 1:1 reserved by cash, with reserves kept “in cash at its Federal bank account,” which the company says eliminates liquidity and credit risk associated with reserve models that rely on other instruments. [5]
- Always-on settlement: Because it runs on a public blockchain, SoFi says partners can move funds 24/7 with near-instant settlement at fractional-cent pricing. [6]
SoFi CEO Anthony Noto framed the strategy in sweeping terms, calling blockchain “a technology super cycle” that can reshape finance beyond payments. [7]
Why SoFi stock moved: traders priced in “infrastructure upside,” not just a crypto headline
Thursday’s rally wasn’t simply a “crypto is back” bounce. Coverage across markets and sector outlets converged on a similar interpretation: SoFi is trying to become rails, not just a consumer app with a trading tab.
SoFi’s announcement explicitly lays out multiple distribution paths:
- SoFi’s own ecosystem: settlement for SoFi’s crypto trading, plus “broader availability” of SoFiUSD to members “in the coming months.” [8]
- Payments and commerce: potential use by card networks, retailers, and businesses seeking faster settlement. [9]
- SoFi Pay and cross-border: SoFiUSD as a “key element” for international remittance and everyday point-of-sale purchases. [10]
- Galileo platform distribution: SoFi suggests SoFiUSD could become an “alternative form of payment” for partners on Galileo, which it says supports “billions of payments per year.” [11]
- B2B “white-label” stablecoins: Banking-industry reporting added an important detail: other banks/fintechs can white-label SoFi’s stablecoin, and those coins would be interchangeable with SoFiUSD—potentially a play to make SoFiUSD part of a broader network rather than a standalone token. [12]
That “infrastructure provider” angle is a key reason the market treated the announcement as material, even as investors remain wary of hype cycles in crypto-adjacent equities. [13]
SOFI stock today: price, range, volume, and how it compares to recent highs
On Dec. 18, SOFI traded around $26.49 and finished the day’s move up about 4.81%, after a volatile stretch earlier in the week. Investing data showed a $25.96–$26.71 intraday range and volume around 38.3 million shares. [14]
A separate real-time market snapshot showed similar levels—$26.485, with an intraday high near $26.71 and volume above 37 million shares.
Zooming out, SoFi’s 52-week range has been wide—roughly $8.60 to $32.73—underscoring just how sentiment-driven SOFI can be during periods of macro shifts and company-specific catalysts. [15]
Some market commentary noted that even after today’s jump, the stock remains well below its November peak (around the low-$30s). [16]
The bigger story: SoFi’s crypto comeback accelerated faster than expected
Today’s stablecoin announcement lands in the middle of SoFi’s renewed push into digital assets—something that has been developing for months, and that SoFi previously flagged publicly.
- In November 2025, Reuters reported SoFi planned to roll out crypto trading and described itself as the first U.S. bank to offer crypto trading and investing (per CEO Anthony Noto), citing improved regulatory clarity—particularly around what the OCC would permit for banks with SoFi’s license. [17]
- In October 2025, Reuters also reported SoFi was on track to launch crypto trading and said SoFi’s CEO indicated a SoFi USD stablecoin was expected in the first half of 2026. Launching SoFiUSD in December suggests SoFi either moved faster than its earlier timeline or is counting this initial “internal settlement” phase as the start, with broader rollout still coming. [18]
- SoFi’s own release this week says SoFiUSD is already available for internal settlement activity, with broader member availability “in the coming months.” [19]
Stablecoin regulation is shifting fast—and banks are leaning in
One reason stablecoin launches are being taken more seriously in late 2025: the U.S. regulatory posture is actively evolving.
Banking industry reporting tied SoFi’s timing to the GENIUS Act, described as a stablecoin regulatory framework, and noted the FDIC has already moved toward implementation steps for FDIC-supervised banks issuing stablecoins through subsidiaries. [20]
More broadly, the OCC has also been in the headlines for crypto-related banking charters. Reuters and Axios reported that the OCC granted conditional or preliminary approvals for several crypto firms seeking national trust bank status—an indication that federal banking pathways for digital-asset businesses are widening (even if these charters differ from full-service insured deposit banks). [21]
In short: SoFi’s bet is landing during a period when stablecoins are increasingly framed as payments and settlement infrastructure, not just a crypto trading instrument—especially as major incumbents and networks experiment with stablecoin settlement. [22]
A key technical detail: SoFiUSD starts on Ethereum, with cross-chain plans
One of the most concrete implementation details to emerge today: SoFiUSD is being built first on Ethereum, with plans to expand cross-chain over time, according to Banking Dive’s reporting citing a company spokesperson. [23]
For investors, that matters because it influences:
- Interoperability (which ecosystems can integrate quickly),
- Settlement costs and throughput (which can vary by chain and network conditions),
- Partner appetite (some enterprises prefer specific chains or private/permissioned networks).
SoFi hasn’t publicly detailed every technical component in the release, but it’s clearly signaling “public chain first” rather than a purely private, closed-loop token. [24]
Is SoFiUSD really a stablecoin—or more like a tokenized bank deposit?
One of the more thoughtful analyses published today comes from fintech industry commentary that argues SoFiUSD may function closer to a tokenized bank deposit than a typical non-bank stablecoin, because it is:
- issued by a regulated bank,
- backed by cash held inside the banking system, and
- redeemable on demand. [25]
That distinction could matter if regulators eventually draw sharper lines between:
- bank-issued tokenized deposits, and
- non-bank stablecoins backed by reserves held outside an insured banking entity’s balance sheet.
SoFi’s messaging leans hard into that regulated-bank advantage—especially around reserves and redemption. [26]
The “other” December headline still matters: dilution from the $1.5 billion stock offering
Even with today’s rally, investors haven’t forgotten the other major SOFI headline this month: SoFi’s $1.5 billion public offering.
SoFi said on Dec. 4 it priced an underwritten public offering of 54,545,454 shares at $27.50 per share (gross proceeds ~$1.5 billion) and granted underwriters an option to purchase up to 8,181,818 additional shares. The company said it intended to use proceeds for general corporate purposes, including enhancing capital position and funding growth opportunities. [27]
Market reaction to that financing was swift. Investopedia reported the share sale surprised parts of the market, calling it SoFi’s second capital raise in six months, and it highlighted investor concerns around dilution even as the company remained up sharply for the year at the time. [28]
MarketWatch coverage similarly emphasized the dilution overhang and described an after-hours drop following the offering announcement, even while noting SoFi’s strong 2025 run and sizable market capitalization. [29]
For readers tracking SOFI stock, the takeaway is simple: today’s “new rails” narrative is exciting, but the capital structure story is still part of the valuation debate. [30]
What Wall Street forecasts say: price targets cluster in the mid-to-high $20s, but the range is huge
Analyst forecasts into year-end 2025 remain mixed, with many services showing a Hold/Neutral-leaning consensus, but meaningful upside targets from bullish firms.
Here’s the clearest snapshot of consensus targets across widely followed tracking services:
- TipRanks shows a consensus “Hold” with an average 12-month price target around $27.50, with a wide spread between a high forecast ($38) and low ($12). [31]
- StockAnalysis shows an average target closer to $24.70, again with a high around $38 and a low near $12—a sign that analysts disagree far more on the right multiple than on the direction of the business. [32]
- MarketBeat lists a “Hold” consensus and an average target around $25.69, while also summarizing the distribution of ratings (buys, holds, sells) and highlighting that some firms have lifted targets following SoFi’s recent earnings beats. [33]
- ValueInvesting (another aggregated view) pegs the average target around $27.48, again reflecting the “mid-to-high $20s” center of gravity. [34]
For SEO-minded readers searching “SOFI stock forecast,” the key nuance is that the average target doesn’t tell the whole story. The real story is the dispersion—analysts are split between:
- a view that SoFi is building durable, platform-like earnings power (justify premium multiples), and
- a view that enthusiasm (and dilution) is ahead of fundamentals (cap upside). [35]
Fundamentals behind the forecasts: record loan originations, strong fee growth, and a crypto-inflected roadmap
SoFi’s recent operating narrative—before today’s stablecoin headline—has centered on growth, cross-selling, and improving profitability.
Reuters’ October report on SoFi’s latest quarter highlighted:
- record total loan originations of $9.9 billion, up 57% year over year,
- financial services revenue up 76% to $419.6 million,
- and fee-based revenues up 50% year over year,
alongside commentary from CEO Anthony Noto that credit performance was “excellent” and net charge-offs improved in the quarter. [36]
That same Reuters reporting also tied SoFi’s growth narrative to its crypto roadmap, referencing SoFi’s intent to integrate crypto capabilities into broader products and infrastructure. [37]
Meanwhile, MarketBeat’s analysis this week reiterated that SoFi beat earnings expectations in its last reported quarter and summarized management guidance and target updates from several banks—while also noting insider selling and the ongoing debate around valuation. [38]
What to watch next: SoFiUSD rollout, partnerships, and the next earnings date
1) When will SoFiUSD reach retail members?
SoFi says SoFiUSD is live for internal settlement now, with broader availability to SoFi members expected “in the coming months.” [39]
Investors will likely look for concrete milestones such as:
- member access timelines,
- wallet/in-app integration details,
- supported chains (beyond the Ethereum-first approach),
- and early transaction volume or partner announcements.
2) Will SoFi win “white-label” partners?
The infrastructure-provider angle is compelling—especially if banks or fintechs can white-label tokens that are interchangeable with SoFiUSD. If this becomes a network rather than a solo product, it could create a new distribution channel for SoFi’s technology platform strategy. [40]
3) When is the next earnings report?
SoFi has not confirmed a next earnings date in some listings, and Nasdaq’s earnings page showed “data is currently not available” at the time of checking. [41]
That said, multiple trackers estimate the next report around late January 2026, commonly Jan. 26, 2026, often marked “unconfirmed.” [42]
The bottom line for SoFi stock on Dec. 18, 2025
SoFi stock’s move today reflects a market that is willing—again—to price SoFi as more than a consumer fintech lender. By launching SoFiUSD, SoFi is pitching itself as regulated, bank-grade stablecoin infrastructure that can touch settlement, payments, remittances, and platform partners, not just retail crypto trading. [43]
But SOFI remains a story stock: volatile, headline-sensitive, and still navigating a valuation debate sharpened by recent dilution. Whether today’s rally holds may depend less on the word “stablecoin” and more on execution—distribution partners, product rollout, and measurable unit economics over the next few quarters. [44]
References
1. investors.sofi.com, 2. www.investing.com, 3. investors.sofi.com, 4. investors.sofi.com, 5. investors.sofi.com, 6. investors.sofi.com, 7. investors.sofi.com, 8. investors.sofi.com, 9. investors.sofi.com, 10. investors.sofi.com, 11. investors.sofi.com, 12. www.bankingdive.com, 13. www.bankingdive.com, 14. www.investing.com, 15. www.investing.com, 16. stockstory.org, 17. www.reuters.com, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. investors.sofi.com, 20. www.bankingdive.com, 21. www.reuters.com, 22. www.barrons.com, 23. www.bankingdive.com, 24. investors.sofi.com, 25. finovate.com, 26. investors.sofi.com, 27. investors.sofi.com, 28. www.investopedia.com, 29. www.marketwatch.com, 30. investors.sofi.com, 31. www.tipranks.com, 32. stockanalysis.com, 33. www.marketbeat.com, 34. valueinvesting.io, 35. www.marketbeat.com, 36. www.reuters.com, 37. www.reuters.com, 38. www.marketbeat.com, 39. investors.sofi.com, 40. www.bankingdive.com, 41. www.nasdaq.com, 42. www.marketbeat.com, 43. investors.sofi.com, 44. investors.sofi.com
