Circle Unveils Public Mainnet of Arc Blockchain

Circle Internet Group has launched the public mainnet of Arc, an open Layer 1 blockchain designed for financial markets, stablecoin settlement, and applications involving AI agents.

The launch marks a significant milestone for Circle's Asia strategy, with over 100 institutional and ecosystem builders joining the network. The founding validator group includes major players such as BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, Visa, and Worldpay.

Arc uses USDC for transaction fees, eliminating the need for users to acquire a separate volatile token. The network is designed for sub-second finality and interoperability with other blockchains through its existing infrastructure.