Circle Launches Arc Mainnet, Eyes On-Chain FX Infrastructure
RWA Signal Insight
InfrastructureCircle has officially launched the public mainnet for Arc, a Layer 1 blockchain specifically engineered to serve as on-chain infrastructure for the $9.6 trillion global foreign-exchange market. By allowing transaction fees to be paid directly in stablecoins like USDC, the network eliminates the accounting volatility associated with native gas tokens, making it highly attractive to institutional participants. The ecosystem has secured significant backing from major financial entities, including BlackRock, DTCC, Mastercard, and Visa, who are serving as initial validators. BlackRock has already committed to deploying its BUIDL tokenized money-market fund on the network, while DTCC plans to integrate its custody assets by late 2027. Within two hours of the launch, the network recorded over 370 million USDC in liquidity and 176,000 active addresses. While the technology enables 24/7 trading and unified settlement, the platform's long-term success will depend on navigating complex cross-border regulatory frameworks for FX. This launch represents a strategic effort by Circle to leverage the legal clarity of USDC to capture institutional capital flows and bridge traditional finance with on-chain assets.
Key points
- Circle launched Arc mainnet to provide on-chain infrastructure for the $9.6 trillion FX market.
- Initial validators include BlackRock, DTCC, Mastercard, Visa, Standard Chartered, and SBI Group.
- BlackRock will deploy its BUIDL tokenized money-market fund on the Arc blockchain.
- Arc reached 370 million USDC in liquidity within two hours of its public launch.
Background
Circle is the issuer of USDC, a regulated, dollar-pegged stablecoin that serves as a primary liquidity bridge between traditional fiat and digital asset markets. The company focuses on building financial infrastructure that enables programmable payments and the tokenization of real-world assets across multiple blockchain networks.