Circle has officially launched the Arc mainnet, a layer-1 blockchain designed for institutional financial markets. The platform supports real-time settlements, tokenized assets, and autonomous AI agents. The network is fully EVM-compatible, features sub-second transaction finality, and includes post-quantum signature algorithms.
Gas fees on the Arc network are paid directly in USDC, eliminating the need for a native volatile token. The platform functions as a full-stack financial ecosystem, providing infrastructure for RWA trading, lending, liquidity provisioning, and foreign exchange. It integrates with Circle's existing products, such as CCTP and StableFX.
The validator set includes major financial institutions like BlackRock, Mastercard, Visa, DTCC, ICE, SBI Group, and Standard Chartered. At launch, the ecosystem hosts over 100 applications, with support from partners including Binance, Coinbase, Uniswap, Aave, and Morpho.
Arc features the Circle Agent Stack, enabling AI bots to manage wallets and execute micro-payments. Additionally, Circle issued 10 billion ARC utility tokens for governance and future security, as the network plans to transition from Proof-of-Authority to Proof-of-Stake in 2027.
The company also introduced Arc Studio and Arc App Kits to assist developers in deploying smart contracts. In a prior pre-sale round, Circle raised $222 million from investors including a16z crypto, BlackRock, and Apollo Funds, valuing the network at $3 billion.
