Circle's ARC L1 blockchain project has announced new progress. According to the latest information, this public chain focused on stablecoin finance plans to officially launch its mainnet in Q1 2026, with major institutions such as Blackstone, HSBC, and Visa already conducting validation on the public testnet. Interestingly, USDC has become the native gas token of the ARC network, which to some extent reinforces the status of stablecoins in payments.

From a fundamental perspective, Circle achieved $740 million in revenue in Q3, and SEC filings have revealed their exploration of an ARC governance token—this suggests that ecosystem participants may have more opportunities for value sharing. As an infrastructure emphasizing predictable fees, fast settlement, and privacy features, ARC has made numerous optimizations for global payments and on-chain market scenarios.

Community reactions are quite positive, with about 90% of sentiment remaining optimistic, focusing on institutional adoption and ecosystem growth potential. Some participants believe that the in-depth testing by institutions and the upcoming mainnet launch provide solid fundamental support. Coupled with the potential value release from the governance token, this project is indeed worth paying attention to. However, caution is advised regarding FOMO mentality and market volatility—institutional-grade projects often experience significant fluctuations.