– Circle launches Arc, a Layer 1 blockchain for regulated finance, supporting stablecoin payments, FX, and capital markets with USDC as its gas token.
– Arc targets 10,000 TPS and sub-second finality, integrating EVM compatibility, privacy features, and tokenized real-world assets like equities and funds.
– Critics argue Arc resembles a consortium chain with pre-approved validators, centralized transaction reversal capabilities, and USDC-driven validator incentives undermining decentralization.
– The blockchain faces concerns over reintroducing centralized control, contradicting crypto’s original goal of eliminating exploitative middlemen like banks.
