Circle launches Arc with USDC-denominated network fees

Circle launched Arc’s public mainnet on 16 September, describing a Layer 1 network designed for payments, financial markets and automated economic activity. Fees are paid in USDC. Circle said more than 100 institutional and ecosystem builders were involved at launch, with validators entering through a phased rollout.

Several features remain plans. Network-wide opt-in privacy was still in development, and a possible move from the permissioned validator model toward proof of stake was being explored for 2027. Circle also said the initial mint of ARC tokens did not commit it to a public token launch. A live network, its future consensus design and a tradable token are separate milestones.