Circle Launches Arc Blockchain with Major Financial Institutions on Board

Circle has announced that its stablecoin-focused layer-1 blockchain, Arc, will launch on public mainnet on September 16. The network's founding validator cohort includes major financial institutions such as BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, and The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). These validators were chosen for their commitment to meeting the trust, security, operational, and compliance standards required of critical financial market infrastructure.

Arc is designed to support fast settlement, transaction fees priced in stablecoins, and privacy controls. The network will also feature a full product suite that includes privacy features, an agent stack for programmable finance, and support for tokenized real-world assets.

Circle has secured significant funding for Arc, raising $222 million in a token presale led by Andreessen Horowitz in May. This investment valued the network at $3 billion. BlackRock plans to deploy its BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) on Arc using the network's built-in USDC integration.