Circle has officially launched Arc’s public mainnet, marking its entry into blockchain infrastructure for financial markets, stablecoin payments, and AI-driven economic activity. The launch brings more than 100 ecosystem and institutional builders onto the network, with major financial firms including BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, DTCC, and Standard Chartered participating as founding validators.
Circle has officially launched the public mainnet of Arc, an open Layer 1 blockchain designed for financial markets and agentic activity. The network enters the space with more than 100 ecosystem and institutional builders actively integrating, spanning financial services, payments, digital assets, and technology sectors.
A key highlight of the launch is the roster of founding validators securing the network, which includes BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, ICE, Mastercard, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, and Visa. The involvement of these firms reflects growing institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure, as several organizations take an active role in supporting network validation rather than merely experimenting with digital assets.
Circle previously described Arc as “a network secured by the institutions building on it,” emphasizing its focus on combining blockchain infrastructure with institutional participation. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated that Arc is built on the idea that “the global financial system deserves a blockchain network it can trust.”
According to Arc, participants have been testing real-world use cases ranging from automated payments and stablecoin transfers to tokenized assets and foreign exchange infrastructure. The project had already gained traction before the public launch, with builders testing institutional-grade on-chain markets.
Circle also confirmed the genesis mint of 10 billion ARC tokens. The company clarified that the mint should not be interpreted as a commitment to a future public token launch, a point also highlighted in the company’s launch update on X. The move does not signal plans for a public token offering.
The launch comes as institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure continues to grow, particularly around stablecoins and tokenized assets. By launching Arc with support from major financial institutions, Circle is expanding its role beyond USDC issuance and further into blockchain infrastructure. With the mainnet now live, market participants will be watching whether more financial institutions and developers choose to build on the network and how it contributes to blockchain adoption in traditional finance.
