The only way is up.

I really wonder what Poloniex has to offer that Circle wanted. Circle already had a certain level of awareness that they could've expanded hugely without this acquisition. By this point in time many a user is actively hostile to Poloniex due to their mediocre support.

Sure, they have plenty of users but it's still early enough to build a monster from scratch without any baggage. I think the average user would actively prefer it.

When Circle were buying and selling BTC it was completely painless. The one time I did have an issue with phone verification I got an email and a solution from a real person within a few minutes.