Circle said Arc remains on track for a Sept. 16 public mainnet launch, a step that would open the blockchain to public users and applications while leaving block production in the hands of a permissioned validator group.
The launch would shift Arc from a test setting that does not use real assets into a live network designed for real-value activity. According to Circle, developers on public mainnet will be able to deploy Ethereum-compatible contracts and submit transactions without prior approval, while transaction fees will be paid in USDC.
Public access with restricted validation
Arc’s deployment documentation describes the upcoming public mainnet as open to all users and applications. That means developers can deploy contracts and send transactions freely, but the network’s validation layer will remain limited to approved institutional participants.
Circle’s launch announcement says Arc was launched by Arc Network Services LLC and is operated by a permissioned validator set. The network uses a permissioned proof-of-authority model in which a rotating validator proposes each block, and more than two-thirds of validators must agree before a block is committed, according to Arc’s system documentation.
Founding validator group named
Circle has publicly identified itself and 11 founding validators expected to help operate the network. The named institutions are BlackRock, The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, Galaxy, Global Payments, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation and Visa.
That structure sets Arc apart from fully open validator systems by combining public application access with a known validator cohort. Circle has said the initial validator group is expected to operate the network alongside the company.
Testnet activity and private mainnet partners
In a post on X, Circle said Arc has recorded more than half a billion testnet transactions, nearly 3 million wallets and more than 100 partners active on private mainnet. Arc’s public testnet explorer showed 671.5 million total transactions, supporting Circle’s broader claim on transaction volume.
Those figures, however, come with an important qualification. Arc’s documentation says the public testnet mirrors mainnet behavior but does not use real assets, so the activity data reflects use in a testing environment rather than evidence of how the network will perform once public users begin transacting with real value.
Expected apps and the next step
Circle has also said a range of day-one apps and services are expected to be live when public mainnet opens. Separately, Uniswap said it is ready on day one, though Circle’s own language frames broader launch participation as expected rather than confirmed across the board.
If Arc launches on Sept. 16 as planned, the network will move from test operations into public use with real-value transactions, while keeping consensus under a permissioned validator group. That launch date is the next confirmed milestone Circle has put forward for the network.
Source: thedefiant.io