Circle Launches Arc Mainnet with USDC as Native Gas Token
USDC issuer Circle has officially launched the mainnet of Arc, a layer-1 blockchain dedicated to stablecoin payments and financial markets with a focus on agentic transactions. Arc uses USDC as its native gas token, supports Ethereum Virtual Machine compatibility, and provides deterministic settlement finality within sub-second intervals, positioning itself as a cutting-edge infrastructure for programmable money and global market activities.
Key Features of Arc and Supported Assets
Arc operates using USDC as its native gas token, which sets it apart in the blockchain landscape. The network is fully Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible, facilitating the deployment of smart contracts and ease of integration with existing Ethereum-based dApps.
A notable aspect of Arc is its support for over 20 fiat-backed stablecoins, including USDC, EURC (Euro), JPYC (Japanese Yen), KRW1 (South Korean Won), and TRYB (Turkish Lira). In addition, tokenized assets such as BlackRock’s BUIDL and Circle’s own USYC are natively available within the Arc ecosystem.
Interoperability and Partnerships
Arc offers interoperability with more than 20 blockchains through Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) and Gateway, expanding asset mobility and cross-network interaction capabilities.
During the public testnet launch in October 2025, over 100 companies participated, including prominent financial institutions like BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Mastercard, and Visa, highlighting the significant industry interest in the Arc platform.
Scaling and Future Development Plans
Ahead of the public mainnet release, more than 100 institutional players and ecosystem builders were engaged in Arc’s private mainnet testing. Looking forward, Circle plans to broaden participation in network operations and aims to transition the consensus mechanism from Proof of Authority to Proof of Stake by 2027 to enhance network security and decentralization.
Circle recently completed the genesis minting of 10 billion ARC tokens. However, the company emphasized that this minting does not imply a commitment to a public token launch.
Statements from Circle's Leadership
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire described the Arc launch as the most significant milestone in the company’s history since the creation of USDC itself. The company stated that Arc was built for “programmable money, global markets, and agentic economic activity,” positioning the blockchain as stablecoin-native infrastructure intended for developers and institutions.
Why it matters
The launch of Arc marks a significant advancement in infrastructure designed for stablecoins and financial markets. Utilizing USDC as the native gas token and supporting a wide array of fiat stablecoins establish a robust environment for payments and programmable financial operations with high speed and low latency. The involvement of major financial institutions and plans to transition to a more decentralized consensus mechanism signal the project’s seriousness and long-term potential to serve as a crucial bridge between traditional finance and the crypto sector.
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