Circle Reveals Initial Arc Partners, Sets Public Launch for Sept. 16

According to CNBC, Circle revealed the initial group of partners that will help run Arc, a new blockchain network aimed at making digital transactions faster and more efficient, and said the network is set to launch publicly on Sept. 16. The initial operators include BlackRock, Intercontinental Exchange, Visa, Mastercard, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, Galaxy, Global Payments, MoneyGram, SBI, Standard Chartered and Sumitomo Corporation. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said Arc is being built as a distributed network that will initially be run by roughly 10 to 12 major players before expanding over time, with the number of operators potentially rising to 20 to 40 and participants eventually able to stake ARC tokens and vote on infrastructure changes. Circle also said it is working toward a distributed governance model and announced integrations with BlackRock, BNY, DTCC and Standard Chartered covering tokenized asset settlement, digital asset custody, stablecoin access, and FX and repo infrastructure. BlackRock will bring its tokenized money market fund BUIDL onto Arc, while Circle said it is working with the DTCC to bring tokenized versions of traditionally held assets onto the network starting in the second half of 2027. Circle said it is a 25% stakeholder in Arc's initial supply of 10 billion tokens, with 60% going to participants who build on, use and contribute to the network and 15% set aside for a long-term reserve.