Introducing Arc: An Open Layer-1 Blockchain Purpose-Built for Stablecoin Finance

Circle Internet Financial has introduced Arc, a new open Layer-1 blockchain specifically designed for stablecoin finance, addressing the limitations faced by traditional financial systems and existing public blockchains. Arc aims to provide a robust environment for stablecoin-native applications, offering low, predictable fees denominated in USDC, a built-in FX engine, and instant settlement finality. The blockchain integrates with Circle's platform, supporting various digital money forms and tokenized assets, and is EVM-compatible to facilitate developer use. Arc is based on Malachite's consensus engine, emphasizing transparency and open-source development to foster permissionless innovation. The platform is intended to enable new financial applications like cross-border payments, stablecoin FX markets, onchain credit, and tokenized capital markets, positioning itself as a trusted, enterprise-grade infrastructure for a new financial era. Arc is set to enter private testnet soon, with public testnet and mainnet beta expected in the coming months.