Circle has introduced 11 third-party validators for the Arc first-layer blockchain, which focuses on stablecoin payments and on-chain financial market infrastructure. The mainnet is set to launch publicly on September 16, according to company head Jeremy Allaire.
BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, Global Payments, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, and Visa join Circle as founding validators; major global financial institutions advancing integrations, joining more than 100 ecosystem and institutional…
— Jeremy Allaire — jerallaire.arc (@jerallaire) August 5, 2026
The list includes BlackRock, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Galaxy, Global Payments, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, and Visa. Circle itself will also support the network.
At launch, the company plans to introduce privacy features, programmable finance tools, support for RWA, and Agent Stack. BlackRock, BNY, DTCC, and Standard Chartered are exploring integrations with Arc in areas such as tokenized asset settlements, custodial services, stablecoin access, foreign exchange operations, and repo.
However, Circle noted in a disclaimer that the L1 blockchain has not been reviewed or approved by the New York State Department of Financial Services or any other regulator.
Mixed Financial Results
The announcement coincided with Circle’s second-quarter report. Revenue and reserve income reached $701 million, a 7% increase year-over-year.
Circle Q2 2026 Earnings Call https://t.co/jNAzvrQD46
— Circle (@circle) August 5, 2026
This figure was below the analyst consensus of $713.32 million. However, adjusted earnings per share were $0.18, compared to the consensus of $0.16, and net income from continuing operations reached $48 million, surpassing the expected $43 million.
At the end of the quarter, 73.3 billion USDC were in circulation, a 19% increase year-over-year. On-chain stablecoin transaction volume rose by 151% to $14.8 trillion.
Reserve income increased by 5% to $668 million. The growth in the average volume of USDC in circulation by 25% partially offset a decline in reserve yield by 66 basis points to 3.5%.
Adjusted EBITDA rose by 8% to $143 million. Circle also raised its forecast for Other Revenue in 2026 from $150-170 million to $310-330 million. The company clarified that this figure includes recognized revenue from the ARC token presale.
Circle Expands USDC Infrastructure
In its report, Circle highlighted the expansion of the Circle Payments Network. The annual transaction volume for the last 30 days at the end of the second quarter reached $14.7 billion, a 76% increase from the previous quarter. The number of connected financial institutions grew by 29% to 175.
The company also reported that Agent Stack now includes over 900 paid services. According to Circle, 99.3% of agent payment volume through x402 is settled in USDC.
On August 5, the firm received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish Circle National Trust. Additionally, the New York State Department of Financial Services authorized the opening of Circle New York Trust as a limited-purpose trust company for digital assets.
In May, Circle announced the launch of the ARC token. During the presale, it raised $222 million from a group of investors, including a16z crypto, BlackRock, and Apollo Funds. The network was valued at $3 billion.
In July, JPMorgan analysts suggested that the new agreement between Circle and Coinbase with Hyperliquid could negatively impact the USDC stablecoin and pose risks for the companies.
