Circle has confirmed that its Arc Layer-1 public mainnet will go live on September 16. BlackRock, Visa, and Mastercard are among the founding validators joining the network, which is designed to serve as global financial infrastructure for stablecoin payments, tokenized assets, and institutional settlement. The launch positions Circle — the issuer of USDC, the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalization — to extend its role from stablecoin provider to infrastructure operator for on-chain financial services.

Circle announced the founding validator cohort on August 5. The group includes DTCC, Galaxy, Global Payments, ICE, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, and Sumitomo Corporation. These institutions will help secure Arc and support scalable on-chain applications. Circle's official press release provides further detail.

Circle's Arc network is stacking serious institutional support ahead of its September mainnet launch. Founding validators include BlackRock, DTCC, ICE, Mastercard, Standard Chartered, Visa, Galaxy, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Sumitomo, and Global Payments. More than 100 institutions… — Frank Chaparro (@fintechfrank) August 5, 2026

https://x.com/fintechfrank/status/2084977931395227879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Why BlackRock and DTCC Are Building on Arc

Arc currently runs on its private mainnet, with over 100 ecosystem builders and institutions already developing on the platform. Circle built the network with a focus on security, compliance, operational robustness, and trust. The validator roster spans payments networks (Visa, Mastercard), capital markets infrastructure (DTCC, ICE), banking (Standard Chartered, BNY Mellon), and digital asset firms (Galaxy), signaling demand across multiple layers of the traditional financial system for blockchain-based settlement rails.

Circle is also expected to bring BUIDL — the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund — to Arc. Launched in March 2024, BUIDL has grown into one of the largest tokenized treasury funds and is already deployed across multiple blockchains including Ethereum, Avalanche, Optimism, and Polygon. This integration would enable the subscription, redemption, and deployment of assets through on-chain rails. Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock's global head of digital assets, said purpose-built rails can improve the settlement process and the movement of collateral, potentially supporting broader institutional adoption of digital assets.

Circle and DTCC have separately partnered to build tokenized securities infrastructure centered on assets held at The Depository Trust Company, which serves as the central securities depository for U.S. equities, corporate and municipal bonds, and other securities. That project is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2027.

How Arc Will Support Tokenized Settlement

Third-party applications on Arc may use tokenized assets for stablecoin-native settlement, with those assets retaining the protections and rights associated with traditional holdings. DTCC linked the initiative to faster settlement, extended trading hours, and greater operational efficiency.

BNY Mellon and Standard Chartered are exploring integration with Arc. Circle identified tokenized settlement, digital custodian services, stablecoin integration, foreign exchange, and repo transactions as potential use cases. No launch dates have been set for any of these integrations.

Arc's launch suite will feature privacy capabilities and programmable finance tools. Circle also plans support for tokenized real-world assets and AI-assisted development, with interfaces designed to help developers, users, and automated agents navigate the ecosystem.

Circle's Q2 2026 Results

Circle released its second-quarter 2026 results on Wednesday. The company's earnings report showed revenue of $701.3 million, below the projected $712.3 million. Earnings per share came in at $0.18, exceeding the projected $0.16. USDC issuance totaled $83 billion, falling short of the projected $88.8 billion.

The mixed results initially supported CRCL shares, which rose more than 1% to trade at around $64 before the market opened. The stock closed Tuesday at $63.25, marking a 4.81% gain with an intraday high of $64.36.