Circle's Arc Blockchain Launches with Major Institutional Validators

Circle has launched the mainnet for Arc, its USDC-native layer-1 blockchain. This milestone marks what CEO Jeremy Allaire called 'the single most significant launch in Circle's history since USDC itself.'

Arc is designed to be an open and neutral economic operating system for financial markets and AI-driven transactions. It departs from other layer-1 designs by charging network fees in USDC, rather than a separate volatile token.

The chain currently runs on a proof-of-authority model and offers sub-second finality, but will shift to proof of stake in 2027. More than 100 applications and institutional integrations have gone live alongside the mainnet launch, including BNY Mellon, HSBC, Societe Generale, and State Street.