Uniswap Brings v4 Liquidity to Circle's Arc as Stablecoin Chain Nears Launch
Uniswap will deploy its v4 automated market maker on Circle's Arc, a stablecoin-focused blockchain set to launch its public mainnet on 16 September 2026. Arc uses USDC as its native gas token and targets settlement finality under one second.
Uniswap will deploy v4 on Circle's Arc
Circle confirmed that Uniswap will deploy its version 4 (v4) automated market maker (AMM) on Arc, the company's new stablecoin-focused blockchain. Arc's official account announced on August 17, 2026 that liquidity infrastructure is live on the network ahead of the mainnet launch. The move brings the most widely used onchain AMM protocol to a settlement layer built around stablecoins. Uniswap v4 introduced customizable "hooks" that let developers modify pool behavior during swaps, liquidity changes, and fee collection.
Arc launches its public mainnet on September 16
Arc will open its public mainnet on September 16, 2026. Circle first named Uniswap among Arc's liquidity partners in an August 5, 2026 announcement, alongside protocols such as Aave and Aerodrome. More than 100 builders already run on Arc's private mainnet. The deployment gives Arc access to established market maker technology at launch, rather than waiting for liquidity to form on a new chain. Circle issues USDC, one of the largest dollar-backed stablecoins by market value.
USDC powers gas and settlement on Arc
Arc uses USDC, Circle's dollar stablecoin, as its native gas token. This design removes the need for a separate volatile token to pay transaction fees. Arc targets deterministic settlement finality in under one second. The network is compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), so developers can build with the same Solidity tools they use on Ethereum. Arc also integrates Circle's Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP), which moves native USDC across supported blockchains without wrapped tokens.
Major institutions back Arc as founding validators
Circle named BlackRock, Visa, and Mastercard among Arc's founding validators. MoneyGram, Standard Chartered, and DTCC also joined the validator cohort. These firms will help secure the network from its first day. Wallet and exchange providers, including MetaMask and Kraken, will support USDC access on Arc. Circle designed the chain for institutional workflows, including an opt-in confidentiality system it outlined in June 2026.
"Arc is built on a simple premise: that the global financial system deserves a blockchain network it can trust.", 5 August 2026. — Jeremy Allaire, Co-Founder, CEO, and Chairman, Circle
DeFi apps plan to build on Arc at launch
Circle describes Arc as a base for lending, borrowing, token issuance, yield products, and derivatives. The company frames these as potential applications rather than confirmed launches. With Uniswap's AMM live from the start, builders can plan trading and liquidity products without seeding pools from zero. Aave and Aerodrome are among the early protocols already active on the private mainnet.
UNI traded near $3.26 at time of publication
The Uniswap governance token (UNI) traded at $3.26 at the time of publication, up 0.7% over the past 24 hours (CoinPaprika, 18 August 2026). Its market value stood near $2.04 billion, ranking UNI among the top 50 crypto assets. Over the past seven days, UNI fell 18.4% (CoinPaprika, 18 August 2026), a move separate from the Arc deployment news.
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