Arc Mainnet launches September 16 with LI.FI integration enabling cross-chain swaps and multi-step transactions on Day 1.
DeFi & Yields ·
Arc Mainnet is launching September 16 with integration of LI.FI, enabling users to execute cross-chain swaps, bridging, and multi-step transactions from day one. Arc is Circle's stablecoin-native layer-1 blockchain designed around USDC as native gas, sub-second finality, and built-in foreign exchange infrastructure, backed by a $222 million token raise at a $3 billion fully diluted valuation from investors including a16z, BlackRock, and Apollo.
The chain currently operates under proof-of-authority consensus with a roadmap toward proof-of-stake transition by 2026. Arc positions itself as an economic operating system for institutional onchain payments, stablecoin finance, and capital markets, with early ecosystem participants such as Aave, Aerodrome, and Visa demonstrating institutional interest. The architecture incorporates deterministic sub-second finality via the Malachite consensus engine, opt-in transaction privacy, and tight integration with Circle's cross-chain transfer infrastructure.
Questions remain open around centralization governance structure, regulatory treatment, privacy tradeoffs under the opt-in model, and competitive positioning relative to other stablecoin-focused chains including Ethereum and Base. Arc also plans post-quantum cryptographic hardening for both the chain and USDC itself.