Crypto
Circle Launches Arc Mainnet with Major Financial Institutions as Validators
Circle's Arc mainnet has launched as a Layer 1 blockchain designed for financial markets and the AI agent economy, with BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, and DTCC serving as founding validators.
USDC serves as the network's native gas token, offering deterministic sub-second settlement finality. The chain is EVM-compatible and has attracted over 100 institutional and ecosystem partners on its first day.
The validator set is permissioned, giving banks a defined governance structure for using a public chain for treasury operations, trading, and confidential payments.