Circle Unveils Arc Blockchain Mainnet Amid Institutional Support
Circle's Arc blockchain has officially launched its mainnet, marking a significant milestone in the company's history. The network, which has already processed over 700 million transactions since its public testnet launch in October 2025, is designed to support the growing needs of institutional and enterprise users.
Among the founding validators are prominent institutions such as BlackRock, DTCC, ICE, Mastercard, and Visa. These partners will join the network in phases, with ICE's Michael Blaugrund noting that Arc's native capabilities address key friction points raised by its institutional customers.
The launch of Arc mainnet also marks the minting of 10 billion ARC tokens, which will serve as the network's coordination mechanism for security, utility, and governance. However, Circle emphasizes that creating these tokens is a technical milestone rather than a commitment to their public release, with plans to transition from proof of authority to proof of stake in 2027.