Liver cancer is one of the most serious cancers in China. Tumor-initiating cells (TICs), a small subset of cells in the tumor bulk with self-renewal and differentiation capacities, play key roles in tumor formation, metastasis, drug resistance and recurrence. circRNAs, formed by covalent conjugation of 5′ and 3′ ends through backsplicing, play important regulatory roles in many physiological and pathological processes. However, the role of circRNAs in liver cancer and TICs needs further study.