Circle's Arc Blockchain Secures Major Financial Backing Ahead of September Launch
Circle Internet Group has announced the founding validator cohort for its Arc Layer-1 blockchain, which is set to launch on September 16. The group includes financial heavyweights such as BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, Goldman Sachs, SBI Group, and others.
BlackRock will deploy its BUIDL fund (BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund) on Arc, allowing institutional investors to subscribe, redeem, and deploy fund assets in a single on-chain environment. According to Robert Mitchnick, Global Head of Digital Assets at BlackRock, 'Purpose-built rails like Arc can support faster settlement, improved collateral mobility, and broader institutional adoption of digital assets.'
Circle is also partnering with DTCC to enable tokenization of DTC-custodied assets on Arc beginning in the second half of 2027. Other financial giants such as BNY and Standard Chartered are exploring integrations with the network for tokenized asset settlement, digital asset custody, stablecoin access, and FX and repo infrastructure.