Circle to launch Arc mainnet as regulatory landscape evolves

Circle is set to launch the public mainnet for its Layer 1 network, Arc, on September 16, 2026. Designed as a settlement network for stablecoins, RWA, and foreign exchange, Arc aims to address structural constraints faced by Circle on other chains, such as financial friction and probabilistic transaction finality. The network's design incorporates compliance features required by the GENIUS Act, including mandatory blacklisting and audit trails. Meanwhile, the upcoming CLARITY Act (US digital-asset market-structure bill) remains a key factor for the future integration of tokenized assets and the regulatory classification of the ARC token.