'I don’t think that’s crazy': Here is why Circle is betting on new $3 billion blockchain
Key takeaways
- While earnings results were mixed, the news resonated well with investors, as Circle shares surged more than 15% on Monday, suggesting the launch addresses a critical compliance gap for Wall Street.
- The move also comes as Congress advances stablecoin legislation that could eventually allow banks, fintechs and payment firms to issue their own digital dollars.
- The Arc chain, in test mode since October with plans to go live this summer, is Circle’s attempt to expand its stablecoin business into a broader infrastructure layer.
Condividi Condividi questo articolo Copia link X icon X (Twitter)Linked In Facebook Email'I don’t think that’s crazy': Here is why Circle is betting on new $3 billion blockchain The USDC stablecoin issuer is betting Arc can become Wall Street’s blockchain rail for payments and tokenized finance, though analysts still see it as speculative.Di Helene Braun, Krisztian Sandor|Editor Aoyon Ashraf 11 mag 2026, 7:51 p.m. 5 min read Tradotto da IAMake preferred on Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle (Coin Desk)What to know: Circle raised $222 million in a token presale, valuing its new Arc blockchain at about $3 billion, positioning the project as a second growth engine beyond its USDC stablecoin business.Arc is designed as an institution-focused blockchain "economic operating system" that aims to provide compliant, high-speed rails for stablecoins and tokenized assets, competing with networks like Ethereum, Solana and Coinbase’s Base.Analysts are divided on how much value to assign to Arc and its token before real usage materializes, even as major investors bet that bank- and Wall Street-ready blockchains will become core infrastructure for onchain finance.Circle’s (CRCL) upcoming Arc blockchain and its $222 million token presale are raising a broader question for crypto investors: should Circle still be valued mainly as a stablecoin issuer, or as an infrastructure company building the rails for digital finance?
Alongside its quarterly earnings this week, the company announced a major fundraising round for Arc ahead of a planned summer launch, valuing the network at roughly $3 billion backed by investors including a16z crypto, Apollo, BlackRock and ARK Invest.
While earnings results were mixed, the news resonated well with investors, as Circle shares surged more than 15% on Monday, suggesting the launch addresses a critical compliance gap for Wall Street.