The funding round was led by a16z crypto (Andreessen Horowitz), which invested $75 million. Other investors included BlackRock, Standard Chartered Ventures, Intercontinental Exchange, SBI Group, ARK Invest, Bullish, and others. Arc is an EVM-compatible blockchain by Circle designed for institutional use, with gas fees payable in USDC. The network is quantum attack-resistant and is already being tested by giants like BlackRock, Visa, and Goldman Sachs. By February 2026, Arc processed 166 million transactions. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated that the project aims to reduce the company's reliance on external networks (Ethereum, Solana) and partners. In 2025, partner payouts, including to Coinbase, amounted to $1.6 billion.