Circle has launched Arc, a blockchain designed for institutional financial activity, with Jeremy Allaire calling the network potentially more consequential than USDC. Founding validators include BlackRock, DTCC, Intercontinental Exchange, Mastercard, Standard Chartered and Visa, while more than 100 institutions and ecosystem companies—including BNY, HSBC and State Street—are live on or exploring the network. Arc will support trading venues such as Uniswap and Aerodrome, lending markets from Aave and Morpho, and tokenized money market funds including Circle’s USYC and BlackRock’s BUIDL. Circle Payments Network and its StableFX platform are also being integrated for cross-currency settlement. The network uses USDC for transaction fees, offers sub-second finality, and features a permissioned validator set and configurable privacy for institutions.