Circle Unveils Arc Layer-1 Network and ARC Tokenomics Ahead of 2026 Mainnet

According to Circle’s white paper, the institutional public Layer-1 has processed 244.1 million testnet transactions since its October 2025 launch, with mainnet targeted for summer 2026 and 60% of ARC allocated to ecosystem development.

Summary

Circle has published a white paper outlining Arc, a public Layer-1 blockchain, and the token model for ARC, its native token. The document says ARC will have a fixed initial supply of 10 billion tokens, with 60% allocated to ecosystem development. Arc’s testnet, which launched in October 2025, had processed 244.1 million transactions as of May 5, 2026. Circle is targeting a summer 2026 mainnet launch. The white paper also says ARC will begin with 2% to 3% inflation, and that protocol fees collected by the network will be converted into ARC and partially burned.

Terms & Concepts
  • Layer-1: A base blockchain network that processes transactions and supports applications directly on its own chain.
  • Testnet: A trial blockchain environment used to test features and transaction activity before a mainnet launch.
  • ARC: The native token of Circle’s Arc network, with an initial supply of 10 billion and allocations including ecosystem development.