The Circle placed, on Wednesday (16), the blockchain Arc on a public mainnet, expanding its reach beyond USDC issuance. The Layer 1 network debuts focused on payments, tokenized markets and transactions carried out by AI agents, with more than 100 applications and institutional participants.
BlackRock, DTCC, ICE, Mastercard, Standard Chartered and Visa are among the founding validators. Banks such as BNY, HSBC and State Street also appear among the institutions connected to or exploring the infrastructure.
Arc uses USDC to pay transaction fees, instead of requiring a native token to run the network. The infrastructure also promises transaction finality in less than one second and integration with Circle's own financial products.
As a result, USDC no longer plays only the role of a stablecoin distributed across different blockchains and now also functions as the operating currency of a network controlled by the company itself.
Arc targets tokenized markets and AI agents
The network already brings together protocols such as Uniswap, Aave and Morpho. Tokenized assets such as BlackRock's BUIDLand Circle's USYC can be used in trading and credit operations and as collateral.
The infrastructure was also designed for AI agents, with wallets that can adopt spending rules, make micropayments and allow autonomous systems to execute transactions on behalf of users or companies.
The strategy expands Circle's presence in the digital financial infrastructure chain, positioning the company not only as a stablecoin issuer but also as the operator of the network in which payments and tokenized assets can circulate.
Circle creates 10 billion ARC tokens
With the mainnet entering operation, Circle confirmed the creation of the initial supply of 10 billion ARC tokens. The asset could in the future participate in the security and governance of the network.
The company states, however, that the minting does not represent a commitment to a public launch of the token. Arc still operates with authorized validators and Circle is studying migrating to Proof of Stake in 2027. Network fees should continue to be paid in USDC.
