Circle Unveils Arc Blockchain with USDC as Native Gas

Circle's long-awaited Arc blockchain has officially launched as an 'Economic OS' for stablecoin finance, tokenized assets, and real-time value transfer. The network went live on September 16 with over 100 institutional and ecosystem builders already on board.

The mainnet launch marks the culmination of a project that first introduced itself as an open Layer-1 blockchain for stablecoin-native applications. Arc's core architecture combines USDC-denominated gas fees, sub-second finality, and infrastructure designed around institutional participation.

The network's founding validator cohort includes major financial institutions such as BlackRock, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Visa, and Mastercard. This structure places established financial and payment institutions among those responsible for operating and securing the network.