Circle Arc blockchain launches September 16 with BlackRock, Visa validators
In brief
- Arc mainnet launches September 16 with 11 founding validators: BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, and others
- Arc private mainnet currently hosts 100+ institutional partners testing tokenized assets and stablecoin payments
- BlackRock to deploy BUIDL fund on Arc for institutional digital liquidity
Founding Validator Lineup
BlackRock, SBI Group, Visa, Mastercard, Standard Chartered, MoneyGram, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Galaxy, Global Payments, Sumitomo Corporation, and The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) will serve as founding validators for Arc. This roster represents a cross-section of global financial infrastructure — from asset managers and payments networks to custodians and settlement operators. Each institution brings institutional credibility and operational scale to the network's launch.
Testing Phase and Use Cases
Arc currently operates on a private mainnet with more than 100 institutional partners and ecosystem builders testing its infrastructure. The network's focus is practical: BlackRock and other major firms are already testing diverse use cases, including tokenized asset settlement and digital asset custody, alongside stablecoin-based payments. This isn't theoretical work. It's production-grade experimentation.
BlackRock's BUIDL Deployment
BlackRock has disclosed plans to deploy its USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) on the Arc network. The move signals that major asset managers see real utility in blockchain infrastructure for institutional liquidity management. BUIDL's arrival on Arc at launch represents a significant vote of confidence from one of the world's largest investment firms.
