Circle launches Arc mainnet with BlackRock, DTCC, Visa

Circle announced the Arc mainnet and named BlackRock, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and Visa as initial validators. Circle described Arc as a permissioned network for institutional settlement of tokenized dollar-denominated assets.

Arc is designed to support transfers and settlement of tokenized dollar assets, including reserves for the USDC stablecoin. Circle said the network will let banks, asset managers and market infrastructure move tokenized dollars with validation by regulated firms.

Each named organization will operate validator nodes that participate in consensus for the Arc ledger. BlackRock is identified as a large asset manager, DTCC as a post-trade clearing and settlement utility, and Visa as a global payments network.

The network restricts validator membership to regulated entities that meet operational and compliance requirements. Circle intends for institutions to continue using traditional compliance, custody and reconciliation processes while settling on the Arc ledger.

Circle stated USDC will serve as a primary vehicle for dollar-denominated transfers on Arc, leveraging Circle’s role as issuer and custodian of USDC reserves.

DTCC’s participation may connect tokenized dollar settlement with post-trade processing; DTCC operates central clearing and settlement services for U.S. securities. BlackRock running a node places an asset manager among the validator operators. Visa’s validator role links a major payments network to the ledger.

Circle said additional technical and commercial details remain undisclosed, including the full list of initial participants, the exact consensus mechanism, and how Arc will interoperate with public blockchains and existing payment systems. The company indicated more announcements on partners, integrations and services will follow as the mainnet moves from initial deployment toward broader institutional onboarding.