Wall Street's Biggest Names Are Now Securing Circle's Arc Blockchain

Circle names eleven institutions as Arc validators

Circle announced on 5 August 2026 the founding validator cohort for Arc, its blockchain network built for financial markets. Alongside Circle, the validators are BlackRock, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Galaxy, Global Payments, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, and Visa. Circle described the group as institutions that both depend on the network and secure it. Arc runs on a private mainnet and plans a public launch on 16 September 2026.

Arc uses USDC as its native network fee token

Arc uses USDC as its native gas token and offers sub-second finality, optional privacy, and compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). More than 100 ecosystem and institutional builders already work on the private mainnet. Circle said the September launch will add a full product suite, including an agent stack for programmable finance and support for tokenized real-world assets.

"Stablecoins and tokenized assets are inextricably linked within the future of financial market infrastructure. Purpose-built rails like Arc can support faster settlement, improved collateral mobility, and broader institutional adoption of digital assets.", 5 August 2026. — Robert Mitchnick, Global Head of Digital Assets, BlackRock

Second-quarter revenue rose 7% to $701 million

Circle reported total revenue and reserve income of $701 million for the second quarter of 2026, up 7% from a year earlier. Net income from continuing operations reached $48 million, a $530 million increase driven by lower stock-based compensation after last year's initial public offering (IPO). Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 8% to $143 million. According to analyst estimates compiled by Yahoo Finance, the revenue figure missed a consensus near $713 million.

USDC in circulation climbed 19% to $73.3 billion

USDC in circulation reached $73.3 billion at the end of the quarter, up 19% year-over-year. Onchain transaction volume for USDC rose 151% to $14.8 trillion during the quarter. Circle raised its full-year guidance for other revenue to a range of $310 million to $330 million, up from $150 million to $170 million.

USDC market value neared $72 billion at publication

USDC traded at $1.00 at the time of publication, with a market value of about $72.1 billion (CoinPaprika, 5 August 2026). That figure counts tokens circulating across public blockchains, and sits close to the $73.3 billion Circle reported at quarter end.

BlackRock and DTCC plan to build on Arc

BlackRock plans to deploy its BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) on Arc, using the network's native USDC integration. DTCC plans to enable tokenization of assets held at The Depository Trust Company (DTC) on Arc, beginning in the second half of 2027. Circle said BNY and Standard Chartered are also exploring integrations spanning asset settlement, custody and stablecoin access.

"Our integration with Arc reinforces our commitment to building connected, onchain digital market infrastructure that enables seamless movement of assets and data across ecosystems and lays the foundation for a more efficient, interconnected financial future.", 5 August 2026. — Frank LaSalla, President, CEO and Director, DTCC

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