Current outcome
Circle's USDC-focused layer-1 blockchain Arc opened to the public on September 16, 2026, offering USDC gas, a built-in FX engine, and opt-in privacy to support institutional stablecoin applications.
Progress timeline
4 material updates- #01
Circle’s Arc launch ties Wall Street firms to the network without making them its safety net
Circle is launching its Arc blockchain on Sept. 16 with BlackRock, DTCC, Visa, Mastercard, and ICE among 11 founding validators, linking major financial institutions to the network as operators, investors, and prospective users.
Source evidence: CryptoSlate · The Block · The Defiant · Decrypt
- #02
Circle debuts Arc blockchain which Jeremy Allaire calls ‘more consequential’ than USDC
Circle has officially launched the Arc blockchain on Sept. 16, with CEO Jeremy Allaire calling it more consequential than USDC.
State after update: The Arc blockchain is now live, officially launched by Circle on Sept. 16, with CEO Jeremy Allaire describing it as more consequential than USDC.
Source evidence: CoinDesk
- #03
Circle launches Arc mainnet with USDC as native gas token
New report adds Arc mainnet technical details: USDC as native gas, EVM compatibility, sub-second finality, support for 20+ fiat stablecoins and 20+ blockchains via CCTP/Gateway, and disclosed a genesis mint of 10 billion ARC tokens this week.
State after update: The Arc blockchain is live following its Sept. 16 launch; the mainnet uses USDC as native gas, supports EVM, sub-second finality, 20+ stablecoins and 20+ blockchains via CCTP/Gateway, and has completed a genesis mint of 10 billion ARC tokens (though not a commitment to a public token launch).
Source evidence: Cointelegraph
- #04
Circle opens Arc mainnet as it seeks an edge for USDC utility
Circle launched the public mainnet of Arc, a layer-1 blockchain that lets a single USDC balance cover both payments and network fees, aiming to boost USDC utility against Tether.
Source evidence: CryptoSlate · Decrypt