Circle's Arc Blockchain Launches Public Mainnet with Prominent Validator Cohort

Circle, a global financial technology platform, has announced that its stablecoin-focused layer-1 blockchain, Arc, will launch on public mainnet on September 16. The network has been running a private mainnet with over 100 institutional builders and ecosystem partners since October 2025.

The founding validator cohort for the network includes prominent names such as BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), and others. Circle believes that this model meets 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 offer a full product suite with features such as an agent stack for programmable finance and support for tokenized real-world assets.