Circle Arc Token Presale Raises $222M at $3B Valuation 

• Circle raised $222M in Arc presale, positioning Arc as a USDC-native, institutional Layer-1.
• Andreessen Horowitz led with $75M as BlackRock, Apollo, and others pushed Arc’s valuation to $3B.
• Circle positions Arc as building an “Economic OS” for institutional, AI-driven, on-chain finance.

Circle Internet Group raises $222 million in its Arc token presale at a $3 billion fully diluted valuation for its new Layer-1 blockchain. Andreessen Horowitz leads the round with a $75 million investment, while BlackRock, Apollo Funds, Intercontinental Exchange, and other major institutional investors participate in the presale.

Circle Raises $222M in its Arc Token Presale 

According to sources, Circle Internet Group has raised $222M in Arc token presale. Arc is a purpose-built EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for institutional finance. It uses USDC as its native gas to deliver predictable, dollar-denominated fees, sub-second finality, opt-in privacy, and integrated FX tools. 

Meanwhile, with USDC circulation hitting around $78B and transaction volume surging 263% in Q1 2026, Circle is building Arc as the “Economic OS” for the internet. This creates an operating system for tokenized assets, governance, and AI-driven economic activity while generating new revenue from network operations.

Notably, the presale was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z crypto), which invested $75M. Other participants in the funding round included BlackRock, Apollo Funds, Intercontinental Exchange, SBI Group, Janus Henderson Investors, Standard Chartered Ventures, General Catalyst, Marshall Wace, ARK Invest, IDG Capital, Haun Ventures, and Bullish. This presale gives the Arc network a $3B fully diluted valuation as Circle pushes to build a dedicated blockchain for institutional-grade stablecoin finance and broader economic activity.

Circle holds a 25% share of Arc’s initial 10B token supply, enabling participation in validator operations while earning staking rewards and transaction fee revenue. About 60% of the tokens are allocated to developers, users, and contributors building on the network. The remaining 15% is set aside as a long-term reserve to support future ecosystem growth.

How Arc Is Accelerating Institutional On-Chain Finance

By building Arc as a dedicated Layer-1 with USDC as native gas, sub-second finality, and opt-in privacy, Circle removes the friction of volatile fees and public transparency that deterred banks and asset managers. Early testnet traction with over 100 institutions already signals faster migration of payments, settlements, and treasury operations onto USDC, accelerating the shift from pilot programs to production-scale use.

At the same time, the Arc’s rise strengthens Circle’s position in the growing stablecoin and tokenized asset sectors amid regulatory clarity and rising institutional demand. The project reduces reliance on networks like Ethereum and Solana while supporting AI-powered economic applications using USDC.

The launch and adoption of Arc shows that major financial players are now confident in using compliant, stablecoin-based infrastructure. This de-risks entry for conservative capital, drives higher USDC circulation and on-chain volume (already at $21.5T in Q1), and sets the stage for an “Economic OS” where AI agents autonomously execute dollar-denominated finance at a global scale.

Related: Circle Launches cirBTC to Bring Bitcoin Into DeFi Markets