Golden Finance reports that according to Circle's official blog, Circle has announced the launch of Arc, an open Layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for stablecoin financial scenarios. Arc uses USDC as its native gas, supports low and predictable dollar-denominated transaction fees, and features an institutional-grade foreign exchange engine for 24/7 automatic settlement between stablecoins. Arc employs the Malachite high-performance consensus mechanism, supporting sub-second instant finality and optional privacy protection. This chain is EVM-compatible and targets applications such as cross-border payments, stablecoin derivatives, on-chain credit, and capital market settlements, with public testing expected this fall and mainnet launch scheduled for 2026.