Circle launches the Arc mainnet, a layer-1 blockchain network, with a validator set that is permissioned. The reported validator participants include BlackRock, the DTCC and Visa, indicating the network’s early governance and block-validation infrastructure is restricted to pre-approved entities.
According to the sources, Circle also mints 10 billion ARC tokens as part of the network rollout. However, neither outlet describes a publicly announced immediate token launch, suggesting the token supply is created in advance without a committed public release date. This distinction matters for how observers interpret the rollout: one outlet emphasizes the operational launch and validator roster, while another highlights the permissioned nature of the validator set and the difference between token minting and public distribution.
