Circle Launches Arc Mainnet With Visa, Mastercard, BlackRock as Founding Validators
Circle's Arc blockchain goes live September 16 with 11 major financial institutions as validators, combining institutional backing with decentralized infrastructure as the stablecoin issuer posts strong Q2 growth.
Arc Mainnet Backed by Traditional Finance Giants
Circle has unveiled its Arc blockchain validator lineup ahead of a September 16 mainnet launch, enlisting a cohort of prominent institutions from traditional finance. According to Circle, the founding validator set includes BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, Global Payments, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, and Visa. BlackRock plans to deploy BUIDL, its tokenized money market fund, on the network, while DTCC has committed to enabling tokenization of assets it custodies, with deployment expected in the second half of 2027. The network has already processed over 500 million transactions across nearly 3 million wallets during its testnet phase, with more than 100 builders active on the private mainnet.
DeFi Ecosystem and Wallet Accessibility Drive Launch
Day-one DeFi protocols including Aave, Morpho, and Uniswap will be available on Arc at launch, ensuring liquidity and trading functionality from day one. Major wallet providers including Binance Wallet, Kraken, Ledger, and MetaMask are offering access to the network, lowering barriers to entry for users. Notably, gas fees on Arc are paid in Circle’s USDC stablecoin, streamlining the user experience by eliminating the need for a separate network-specific token.
Circle Posts 7% Revenue Growth and OCC Approval
Circle’s second-quarter results underscore the expanding infrastructure built around its stablecoin and blockchain services. Total revenue and reserve income reached $701 million, up 7 percent year-over-year. Net income swung to $48 million in the quarter, compared with a $482 million loss a year earlier when IPO-related stock compensation heavily impacted the period. Adjusted EBITDA grew 8 percent to $143 million. USDC in circulation expanded to $73.3 billion, reflecting 19 percent growth, while on-chain transaction volume surged 151 percent to $14.8 trillion. Circle’s portion of the fiat-backed stablecoin market stands at 27 percent. Separately, the company disclosed that its distribution agreement with Coinbase has renewed under existing terms. Last month, Circle received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to operate as Circle National Trust, a national trust bank, further solidifying its regulatory standing in the U.S. financial system.
Source: Circle, via Decrypt. Not financial advice.
Why it matters: Circle’s validator coalition demonstrates that institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure is accelerating beyond XRP itself—expanding the broader ecosystem that benefits cross-border settlement and asset tokenization.