Circle has officially launched the mainnet for Arc, a layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for stablecoin payments and financial markets. The network utilizes USDC as its native gas token and provides compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, aiming to facilitate agentic transactions with sub-second settlement finality.
The platform supports over 20 fiat stablecoins, such as EURC, JPYC, KRW1, and TRYB, alongside tokenized assets like BlackRock’s BUIDL and Circle’s USYC. Interoperability is achieved through the integration of Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol and Gateway, connecting Arc to more than 20 other blockchains.
Development of the network involved significant institutional participation, with over 100 companies, including Mastercard, Visa, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock, involved during the testnet and private mainnet phases. CEO Jeremy Allaire described the release as the most significant launch in the company's history since the introduction of USDC.
Regarding future operations, the company plans to expand network participation and is exploring a transition from its current Proof of Authority consensus mechanism to Proof of Stake in 2027. Additionally, Circle completed a genesis mint of 10 billion ARC tokens, though it noted this does not confirm plans for a public token launch.
