Circle confirms completion of 10 billion ARC token genesis mint this week.

September 16: Circle launched the Arc public blockchain mainnet on September 16, 2026, with 11 founding validators in the first batch, including BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, and the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC). Arc uses USDC as its native gas token and is positioned for stablecoin payments, real-world assets (RWA), and tokenized markets, supporting sub-second finality and offering optional privacy features.

BlackRock plans to deploy its BUIDL fund onto Arc to enable on-chain subscriptions and redemptions. Arc's previous private mainnet had over 100 developers participating, and this institutional validator lineup further strengthens its institutional positioning in the RWA and stablecoin infrastructure sectors.

According to the statement, the entire initial supply of ARC was minted in the United States this week. However, Circle stated that creating these 10 billion tokens is merely a technical milestone and does not mean the company is committed to a public offering. Currently, Circle is exploring a transition of the network consensus mechanism from Proof of Authority (PoA) to Proof of Stake (PoS) in 2027.