Circle has launched the public mainnet of Arc, its new Layer 1 blockchain designed for financial markets, payments and tokenized assets. The network went live on Sept. 16 with USDC serving as the gas currency, removing the need for users to hold a separate volatile token to pay transaction fees.
Circle said Arc launched with more than 100 applications and over 100 institutional and ecosystem builders. The network also includes a founding validator group drawn from major financial institutions and payment companies.
USDC Becomes Arc’s Native Gas Currency
Arc centers its network economics on stablecoin-based transactions. Fees are paid in USDC, while the blockchain targets sub-second transaction finality.
Circle’s design focuses on financial use cases where predictable costs and rapid settlement matter. The company also says Arc supports EVM compatibility, allowing developers to use existing Solidity contracts and familiar blockchain tools.
The network’s initial ecosystem includes:
- More than 20 local and regional stablecoins connected through Circle’s StableFX infrastructure
- Tokenized assets including USYC and BUIDL
- Trading and liquidity applications from companies including Uniswap, Aave and Morpho
- Payment, custody, exchange and wallet infrastructure from major industry providers
Institutional Validators Anchor the Network
Circle’s founding validator cohort includes BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, Visa and Worldpay.
The company said these institutions will help operate and secure Arc as it expands. BlackRock is also expected to deploy its BUIDL tokenized fund on the network.
Circle has positioned Arc as infrastructure for both traditional financial institutions and blockchain-native applications. The network also targets AI agents that can execute payments, trades and other economic activities programmatically.
Arc’s launch marks a broader push toward stablecoin-native financial infrastructure. Circle said the network will eventually explore proof-of-stake, expanded privacy features and specialized environments for payments, confidential transactions and AI-driven economic activity.
