The USDC issuer's new chain is designed for payments, tokenized assets, and institutional finance. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated Arc is the "most consequential major platform launch in our history." Founding validators include BlackRock, DTCC, Intercontinental Exchange, Mastercard, Standard Chartered, and Visa. Circle has completed the genesis mint of 10 billion ARC tokens, which are not yet available to the public. The company raised $222 million in a token presale in May.