Stablecoin issuer Circle has set a September 16 launch date for its Arc blockchain and unveiled a founding validator cohort of traditional financial institutions including BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, Global Payments, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, and Visa. Circle positioned Arc as more than a stablecoin network, highlighting institutional integrations that span tokenized asset settlement, digital asset custody, and FX and repo infrastructure.
Circle also revealed that Arc will become one of the supported blockchains for the DTCC Tokenization Service. The DTCC began limited production trades in July ahead of a full October launch, initially on its own Ethereum-compatible AppChain and the Canton Network. Stellar is planned for the first half of 2027, with Arc now targeted for the second half. The DTCC’s SEC no-action letter requires pre-approved blockchains, and Arc’s initial permissioned validator set of regulated institutions would position it as a straightforward candidate for that approval.
The inclusion of many of these institutions as founding validators is not a huge surprise since several, including BlackRock, ICE, SBI and Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures, participated in Arc’s $222 million token pre-sale in May. BlackRock is also expected to deploy its BUIDL tokenized fund onto the Arc blockchain.
Article continues …
Want the full story? Pro subscribers get complete articles, exclusive industry analysis, and early access to legislative updates that keep you ahead of the competition. Join the professionals who are choosing deeper insights over surface level news.
