Circle launches Arc Layer 1 blockchain mainnet with institutional validators

Arc mainnet Circle Layer 1 blockchain USDC institutional validators

Circle Internet Group has officially launched the public mainnet of Arc, a Layer 1 blockchain designed for payments, trading, and agentic economic activity. The network features sub-second transaction finality and is EVM-compatible. A key design element is the use of USDC as the native gas token, allowing users to avoid the volatility of a native network token for transaction fees.

The network launched with a permissioned validator set of 11 founding institutions, including BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, DTCC, Standard Chartered, and ICE. Over 100 institutional partners and ecosystem builders, including banks like BNY and HSBC, are already utilizing or exploring the network. DeFi protocols such as Aave, Morpho, and Uniswap are also integrated into the ecosystem.

Circle has completed a genesis mint of 10 billion ARC tokens, though the company clarified this is a technical step toward a potential transition to proof-of-stake in 2027 and does not constitute a commitment to a public token launch. The company previously raised $222 million in an Arc token presale at a $3 billion valuation. The Arc testnet reportedly processed over 700 million transactions in less than a year prior to the mainnet launch.

Entities

BlackRock · Circle · Circle Internet Group · Jeremy Allaire · Mastercard · Visa

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 5 SOURCES] Jeremy Allaire described the Arc mainnet launch as the most significant in the company’s history since USDC. bitnewsbot.com · ethnews.com · decrypt.co · coinacademy.fr · paratic.com
[● 9 SOURCES] USDC serves as the gas token on the Arc network. bitnewsbot.com · ethnews.com · decrypt.co · blockchainreporter.net · airdropalert.com · +3 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The company minted 10 billion ARC tokens this week. bitnewsbot.com · ethnews.com · decrypt.co · airdropalert.com · coinacademy.fr · +1 more
[● 8 SOURCES] Founding validators include BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, and DTCC. ethnews.com · decrypt.co · bitnewsbot.com · blockchainreporter.net · airdropalert.com · +3 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Circle raised $222 million in an Arc token presale at a $3 billion valuation. bitnewsbot.com · decrypt.co · airdropalert.com · ethnews.com
[● 5 SOURCES] The Arc testnet processed more than 700 million transactions in under a year. bitnewsbot.com · airdropalert.com · coinacademy.fr · ethnews.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The minting of ARC tokens is not a commitment to a public launch. bitnewsbot.com · decrypt.co · airdropalert.com · paratic.com
[● 5 SOURCES] Circle launched the Arc Layer 1 blockchain mainnet for payments, trading, and agentic economic activity. bitnewsbot.com · ethnews.com · decrypt.co · blockchainreporter.net · www.cryptoninjas.net