Circle, the issuer of USDC stablecoin, launches Arc, a new layer-1 blockchain designed for stablecoin-native finance.
DeFi & Yields ·
Circle, the issuer of USDC, opened Arc, a layer-1 blockchain designed for stablecoin-focused applications, to the public on September 16, 2026. Arc uses USDC for transaction fees, features deterministic settlement finality, optional privacy controls, and a fee model that keeps costs predictable by pricing them in stablecoins rather than volatile tokens. The network processed more than 700 million transactions during its public testnet phase and had more than 100 institutional and ecosystem partners on its first day of public operation. Circle positioned the launch as addressing infrastructure gaps that have limited stablecoin adoption at institutional scale, including fee volatility and settlement uncertainty on existing blockchains.