Circle launches Arc mainnet for stablecoin-based financial applications

Circle ($CRCL) launched the Arc mainnet, its layer-one network designed for stablecoin payments, foreign exchange, tokenized assets and applications involving AI agents. The company said more than 100 applications and more than 100 builders were participating in the ecosystem. Transaction fees are denominated in USDC, making the stablecoin central to the network’s operating model.

The launch moves Arc beyond its test-network stage, although testnet transaction totals are not evidence of equivalent commercial activity. Institutional validators are being introduced in phases, and optional privacy features remain under development. Circle also described a 10 billion ARC genesis supply, but that disclosure is not itself a commitment to a public token launch. The announcement is a platform milestone rather than a forecast of incremental revenue.

Sources:

• Circle — Arc mainnet launch