Circle's dollar-native Layer 1 network Arc went live on public mainnet on September 16, 2026, with a validator set dominated by traditional finance and an immediate integration from Transak that gives developers fiat-to-USDC on-ramps from day one. Arc is EVM-compatible and uses USDC as its native gas asset, meaning transaction costs are quoted in dollars rather than a volatile network token. Circle says the chain includes an integrated stablecoin foreign-exchange engine, sub-second settlement finality, and opt-in privacy controls.
The launch puts SBI Group's dual-rail strategy in focus. SBI is Ripple's largest external shareholder, holding roughly 9% of the company since 2016, a stake CEO Yoshitaka Kitao has valued near $4 billion. SBI is also a founding Arc validator, while SBI Ripple Asia operates Japan's only live XRP remittance corridor and became Asia's first regulated RLUSD distributor in March 2026. Mastercard has similarly expanded its settlement framework to include RLUSD across eight blockchain networks, including the XRP Ledger. The reporting concludes this is hedging rather than a shift away from Ripple, with institutions keeping exposure to both USDC-based and XRP-based settlement rails.
Arc's founding validator cohort includes BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, Visa and other financial institutions, with more than 100 institutional players active on its private mainnet before launch. BlackRock intends to deploy its BUIDL tokenized fund, and DTCC is collaborating with Circle on asset tokenization by late 2027. Around the launch, RLUSD supply reached $2.442 billion, Circle's USYC exceeded $3 billion, and BlackRock's BUIDL stood near $2.4 billion. Circle also minted 10 billion ARC tokens on mainnet, confirming that is the full initial supply, although the network has not confirmed a public ARC token launch and is exploring a future move to proof-of-stake.
Transak's integration is live in the Arc Onramp Kit, allowing teams building on Arc to onboard users from local currency into USDC through cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay without redirecting them to an external site. Transak is used by more than 600 applications and over 10 million users, and CEO Sami Start framed the integration as removing friction at the point of entry so Arc's stablecoin settlement layer can reach users. Arc is operated by a permissioned validator set, and Arc Network Services LLC provides software services only; the network has not been reviewed or approved by the New York State Department of Financial Services or any other regulatory authority.