SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFI) ended Thursday, December 18, 2025, on a strong note after unveiling a major crypto-and-payments initiative: SoFiUSD, a U.S. dollar stablecoin issued by SoFi Bank, N.A. The announcement pushed the stock higher during the regular session, while after-hours trading turned relatively quiet, suggesting the market largely priced in the news before the closing bell.
SOFI stock price check (after the bell): Shares closed at $26.29 (+4.04%) and were slightly higher at $26.30 in after-hours trading (as of 7:34 p.m. ET). [1]
For the session, SOFI traded between $25.95 and $26.72, with about 44.3 million shares changing hands. [2]
What moved SOFI today: SoFi launches the SoFiUSD stablecoin
SoFi’s headline catalyst on Dec. 18 was its announcement that it has launched SoFiUSD, described as a fully reserved U.S. dollar stablecoin issued by SoFi Bank, N.A. In the company’s framing, SoFiUSD isn’t only a “new coin”—it’s a bid to become stablecoin infrastructure for banks, fintechs, and enterprise partners, offering faster settlement and integrated rails for moving money. [3]
Key points from SoFi’s announcement:
- “First national bank” claim: SoFi says it is the first national bank to issue a stablecoin on a public, permissionless blockchain. [4]
- Reserve model: SoFiUSD is presented as fully reserved 1:1 by cash with “immediate redemption capability,” and SoFi highlights its ability (as an insured depository institution) to keep reserves in cash at its Federal bank account. [5]
- Business model angle: SoFi says partners can use its framework to issue white-label stablecoins or integrate SoFiUSD into settlement flows. [6]
- Rollout timing: SoFiUSD is available for internal settlement activity now, with broader availability to members expected in the coming months. [7]
Market coverage echoed those themes, with reports emphasizing SoFi’s push to make stablecoins practical for real-world payments and settlements—especially for commercial partners that care about speed, cost, and predictable reserves. [8]
Why this matters: stablecoin infrastructure is bigger than a “crypto trading” headline
The most important nuance for investors digesting Thursday’s move is that SoFi isn’t pitching SoFiUSD as a novelty product for retail speculation. It’s positioning it as an “infrastructure layer” that could connect multiple parts of the SoFi ecosystem:
- Commercial settlement and payments: The company says the stablecoin could be used for settlement across its crypto business and by “card networks, retailers, or businesses” that want 24/7 settlement. [9]
- SoFi Pay and remittances: SoFi also points to SoFiUSD as a “key element” for international remittance and point-of-sale use cases tied to SoFi Pay. [10]
- Galileo distribution potential: SoFi explicitly references Galileo partners (which it says drive billions of payments per year) as another vector where stablecoin settlement could become relevant. [11]
This “plumbing” narrative helps explain why investors reacted positively: if SoFi can persuade other financial institutions and platforms to adopt its rails (or white-label them), the opportunity looks more like platform revenue than a one-off product announcement.
The blockchain detail investors are focusing on: public chain, Ethereum first, cross-chain later
Beyond the headline, the implementation choices matter. Industry reporting indicates SoFiUSD is being built first on Ethereum, with plans to expand across chains over time. [12]
That matters because:
- Ethereum remains a major venue for institutional stablecoin experimentation (liquidity, tooling, developers).
- Cross-chain expansion (if executed cleanly) could broaden reach—but also increases operational and security complexity.
Regulatory backdrop: why stablecoins are having a “moment” in late 2025
SoFi’s timing isn’t happening in a vacuum. In 2025, U.S. policy has been moving toward clearer rules for stablecoins—important when a regulated bank is issuing one.
- The White House published a fact sheet stating that President Donald J. Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law on July 18, 2025. [13]
- The FDIC has also described the GENIUS Act as allowing insured depository institutions to issue payment stablecoins through a subsidiary and has moved toward implementing related application procedures. [14]
In other words: SoFi’s pitch is not just “crypto.” It’s “crypto under a bank-regulated wrapper,” launching into a regulatory environment that (at least relative to prior years) appears more defined.
Why SOFI popped during the day—but didn’t keep running after-hours
Thursday’s tape action told a fairly clean story:
- Regular session: The market rewarded the headline and the strategy, sending SOFI to a $26.29 close (+4.04%). [15]
- After-hours: The stock was essentially flat-to-slightly-up at $26.30 later in the evening. [16]
That pattern often implies:
- The catalyst was well understood quickly, and
- Traders didn’t see an additional “second shoe” (like surprise financial guidance, an earnings preannouncement, or a sudden regulatory twist) hitting after 4 p.m.
What investors should know before the market opens Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
Here are the biggest things to track heading into the next session—especially if you trade SOFI around the open.
1) Expect volatility around early liquidity (and remember extended-hours risks)
SOFI has been active and news-driven, and extended-hours trading typically has lower liquidity and wider spreads. Even SoFi’s own investing education materials emphasize that extended hours (pre-market and after-hours) can carry added risk due to volatility and liquidity constraints. [17]
Practical takeaway: If SOFI gaps up or down pre-market, confirm whether the move is on meaningful volume or just thin trading.
2) Watch for follow-up details: timeline, partners, and real adoption signals
The market already knows “stablecoin launched.” What can move the stock next are specifics investors can model:
- When “available soon” becomes a concrete retail rollout timeline. [18]
- Whether SoFi announces enterprise partners piloting issuance/settlement integrations (or white-label deployments). [19]
3) Track crypto sentiment—but keep the focus on payments and infrastructure
Even if SoFi frames this as infrastructure, traders may still treat the headline as “crypto exposure,” and crypto risk appetite can swing quickly. A broader risk-off tone in global markets has also been a feature in recent sessions, with Reuters noting pressure tied to tech-sector concerns and macro crosscurrents. [20]
4) Keep dilution/capital headlines in the back of your mind
SoFi has been a “story stock” in 2025, and capital-structure headlines can change sentiment fast. Earlier this month, SoFi announced a $1.5 billion common stock offering, which pressured shares at the time. [21]
That’s not “today’s” news—but it remains part of the narrative traders may return to when deciding whether Thursday’s rally is sustainable.
5) Know where SOFI is trading versus recent peaks
Several outlets highlighted that SOFI had pulled back from a late-2025 high area (around the low-$30s) even before Thursday’s pop. Investors.com, for example, noted a November peak around $32.73 and described a recent drawdown before the stablecoin bounce. [22]
Forecasts and analyst outlook: what Wall Street is pricing in right now
Stablecoin headlines can dominate a single session, but longer-term investors typically come back to: earnings power, growth trajectory, and valuation.
A few widely followed “consensus” indicators:
- Average price target: Zacks reports an average target around $27.69 (with a range across analysts). [23]
- 1-year target estimate (snapshot): Yahoo Finance displays a 1-year target estimate around $26.97. [24]
- Consensus stance (example aggregation): TipRanks lists a consensus rating framework that leans Hold (based on a mix of buy/hold ratings). [25]
How to interpret this for Friday: After a close at $26.29, the stock is trading roughly in the neighborhood of some mainstream consensus targets—meaning incremental upside from here may require either (a) stronger financial execution or (b) clearer monetization evidence that SoFiUSD and related crypto infrastructure translate into durable revenue and profit streams.
Next catalysts: earnings timing and what could change the narrative
Multiple market calendars point to late January or early February 2026 as the estimated window for SoFi’s next earnings report (timing can shift until confirmed by the company):
- Nasdaq lists an estimated earnings date around 01/26/2026 (noted as algorithm-derived/subject to change). [26]
- Zacks also references January 26, 2026 for the next report. [27]
- Other calendars show early February 2026 dates, underscoring the need to confirm via official SoFi IR updates. [28]
Between now and then, the most market-moving “SoFiUSD” developments would likely be: partner launches, transaction volume signals, and any new regulatory guidance relevant to bank-issued stablecoins.
Bottom line for Dec. 19’s open
SoFi stock is heading into Friday’s session with momentum after a clean catalyst:
- SOFI closed up ~4% Thursday and was essentially unchanged after-hours, suggesting investors processed the stablecoin news quickly. [29]
- The story now shifts from announcement to adoption—and the market will be listening for hard details on rollout timing, partner integrations, and real settlement use. [30]
- With stablecoin regulation in a more defined phase post–GENIUS Act, SoFi’s “bank-grade oversight” pitch is central to why this initiative is being treated as more than a typical crypto headline. [31]
References
1. finance.yahoo.com, 2. stockanalysis.com, 3. investors.sofi.com, 4. investors.sofi.com, 5. investors.sofi.com, 6. investors.sofi.com, 7. investors.sofi.com, 8. www.barrons.com, 9. investors.sofi.com, 10. investors.sofi.com, 11. investors.sofi.com, 12. www.bankingdive.com, 13. www.whitehouse.gov, 14. www.fdic.gov, 15. finance.yahoo.com, 16. finance.yahoo.com, 17. www.sofi.com, 18. investors.sofi.com, 19. investors.sofi.com, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.barrons.com, 22. www.investors.com, 23. www.zacks.com, 24. ca.finance.yahoo.com, 25. www.tipranks.com, 26. www.nasdaq.com, 27. www.zacks.com, 28. www.investing.com, 29. finance.yahoo.com, 30. investors.sofi.com, 31. www.whitehouse.gov
