Editorial illustration: CRYPTO MAIN NEWS / OpenAI. It does not depict a Circle facility or a launch event.
Circle has announced Arc’s public mainnet launch, while its wallet documentation now lists both production and testnet environments. Some features remain on the roadmap.
Circle announced the public launch of Arc on September 16, 2026. The announcement moves the network beyond the scheduled-launch stage described in the company’s August release. Its launch statement says network fees are paid in USDC and that founding validators will join through a phased rollout.
The distinction between a live network and a completed roadmap matters. Circle says network-wide opt-in privacy remains in development. It also describes a possible transition from Proof of Authority toward Proof of Stake in 2027. Those plans should not be read as features delivered at launch.
Wallet documentation now includes mainnet
The Circle Wallets support table lists Arc with the production chain code ARC and testnet code ARC-TESTNET. It shows externally owned accounts and smart contract accounts for developer-controlled and user-controlled wallets, and modular smart contract accounts for its modular wallet product.
These are Circle API identifiers, not a statement of the network’s numeric chain ID. Developers must select the intended environment and verify the relevant product’s configuration. A support-table entry also does not establish the availability of every third-party application or measure real-world network performance.
What remains conditional
Circle says it minted an initial supply of 10 billion ARC tokens, but explicitly distinguishes that technical step from a commitment to a public token launch. Its announcement says network transaction fees remain payable in USDC. Readers should therefore avoid treating the mainnet announcement as confirmation that ARC is publicly offered or required to pay fees.
For businesses evaluating payments and settlement, the practical questions now concern production operation: whether the particular wallet, custody provider and application they need support the network, what access conditions apply, and how the service performs under actual use. A launch announcement cannot answer all of those questions.
This article confirms the published announcement and wallet documentation. CRYPTO MAIN NEWS has not independently measured production throughput, validator availability or application liquidity. Further reporting should examine those operational results and distinguish delivered privacy features from development targets.
Related coverage: Circle’s Tazapay deal and cross-border payment infrastructure.
Investment disclaimer: This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute investment, financial, legal or tax advice. Digital assets are volatile, and all investment decisions and their consequences are your own responsibility.