Circle Sets Sept. 16 Launch for Arc Blockchain With BlackRock, Visa Among 11 Validators

- Arc blockchain mainnet to launch Sept. 16 with 11 institutional validators, including BlackRock, Visa, and Mastercard - Network to focus on compliant, privacy-minded programmable finance using USDC as native settlement asset On 2026-08-05, Crypto.news reported that Circle will launch the Arc blockchain mainnet to the public on September 16, 2026. The launch will include a cohort of 11 founding validators from leading financial institutions such as BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, and DTCC. The new layer-1 blockchain is designed for compliant, privacy-minded financial operations and programmable finance, and it will use USDC as its native settlement token. As a result, Arc seeks to underpin tokenized real-world assets and stablecoin settlement across institutional markets. In addition, Crypto.news reported that BlackRock plans to launch its digital liquidity fund (BUIDL) on Arc, while DTCC is preparing for tokenized asset settlement integrations. Arc’s debut follows Circle’s strong Q2 financial results and recent regulatory approvals, which together position Arc as a potential foundational infrastructure for compliant digital finance.