Arc

🪂 Most of the $ARC Token Supply Will Go to Users and Contributors

60% of the initial $ARC supply is allocated to the ecosystem, with that allocation covering developer grants, network growth programs and broader participation mechanisms, and the majority of $ARC set to go to participants who build on, use and contribute to the network.

Airdrop eligibility criteria have not been published yet, so it remains unclear which Mainnet activities or previous testnet participation will count toward $ARC distribution.

What is Arc?

Arc is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 launched by Circle for stablecoin finance, global payments and institutional markets. $USDC is the native gas token, transactions reach deterministic sub-second finality, and Circle CCTP and Gateway connect Arc with more than 20 blockchains. Founding validators include BlackRock, DTCC, Mastercard, Visa and Standard Chartered. Mainnet launched with more than 100 institutional and ecosystem builders across DeFi, tokenized assets, StableFX and payments, alongside Arc Studio and App Kits for developers and Circle Agent Stack for policy-controlled AI-agent wallets, gas-free nanopayments and programmatic market access.

$ARC is Arc’s coordination token, linking network security, economic governance, fee mechanics and platform utility. Arc currently uses Proof of Authority, with staking and delegation tied to a future transition to Proof of Stake or delegated Proof of Stake. The 10 billion genesis supply is split 60% to the ecosystem, 25% to Circle and 15% to the long-term reserve. Although the full supply has been minted, $ARC is not yet publicly tradeable. Read the official $ARC whitepaper.

In Q2 2026, Circle sold 807.5 million $ARC to institutional investors at $0.30 per token, raising approximately $242.2 million at a $3 billion fully diluted network valuation. Investors included a16z crypto, BlackRock, and others. Presale tokens are locked for at least one year after Arc transitions to Proof of Stake or delegated Proof of Stake, while the purchase terms include repayment rights if that transition has not been completed by May 8, 2028. View the Circle SEC filing.