Circle Launches Arc Mainnet With 100+ Institutional and Crypto Partners

Circle has launched its Arc Layer 1 network, bringing USDC-based fees, sub-second settlement, and major financial institutions onchain. Circle, the company behind USDC, has officially launched the public mainnet of Arc today. This is a Layer 1 blockchain as infrastructure built specifically for financial markets, payments, and AI-powered economic activity. According to the firm’s official announcement, the protocol debuts with more than 100 institutional and ecosystem participants. USDC, the stablecoin with more than $74 billion in circulating supply, is integrated in the network directly as the main gas token, meaning that users will have a degree of predictability that other networks might lack. USDC Powers Network Fees Unlike most Layer 1 networks, which have a USD-denominated cryptocurrency as the native token, Arc allows users to pay for transaction fees directly with USDC. Circle also says that the network provides sub-second finality and supports assets including USDC, EURC, and tokenized real-world assets. Some of the founding validators include BlackRock, Mastercard, Visa, Standard Chartered, Galaxy, ICE, DTCC, and MoneyGram. Crypto firms, on the other hand, include Binanc...