NEW YORK — Circle Internet Group is making one of the boldest bets yet that artificial intelligence and blockchain are converging into the next foundational layer of the global financial system.
The company behind the USDC stablecoin disclosed Monday that it has raised $222 million in a presale of the native token tied to its new institutional blockchain network called Arc, drawing backing from some of the largest names in finance, venture capital, and digital infrastructure.
The investor list reads like a map of Wall Street and Silicon Valley power.
Participants include BlackRock, Apollo Global Management, Andreessen Horowitz, Intercontinental Exchange — the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange — along with ARK Invest, Standard Chartered Ventures, General Catalyst, Janus Henderson, Marshall Wace, SBI Group, Haun Ventures, and crypto exchange Bullish, which owns CoinDesk.
The presale values the Arc network at a fully diluted valuation of approximately $3 billion.
Andreessen Horowitz led the round with a reported $75 million commitment.
The financing also marks a milestone for public markets and crypto infrastructure alike: Circle has become the first publicly traded company to conduct a token presale tied to a blockchain ecosystem.
But beyond the fundraising itself, the announcement signals something much larger about where Circle believes the global economy is headed.
Arc is not being positioned simply as another blockchain.
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire described the network as an institutional-grade “Economic Operating System” designed specifically for an internet increasingly powered not by humans, but by autonomous software systems and AI agents.
“We’re entering this era where software machines will power the economic system,” Allaire told CNBC. “Software will do most of the work — that is what AI agents represent.”
The Arc blockchain is being built with features designed specifically for large-scale institutional and machine-driven financial activity.
According to Circle, the network will offer:
- Sub-second transaction settlement
- Stablecoin-denominated transaction fees using USDC and other digital dollars
- Built-in privacy and compliance controls
- Full compatibility with Ethereum-based smart contracts and infrastructure
The company launched Arc’s public testnet in October 2025, with more than 100 institutions already reportedly participating in testing, including BlackRock, Visa, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and Amazon Web Services.
Circle expects to launch the mainnet beta later in 2026.
The broader strategic shift underway at Circle is significant.
The company originally built its business around USDC, now the world’s second-largest stablecoin with approximately $77 billion in circulation.
USDC transaction volume surged more than 260% year-over-year during the first quarter to approximately $21.5 trillion, reflecting the rapidly expanding role stablecoins are beginning to play in global payments, trading, and financial settlement systems.
But Circle increasingly appears to be positioning itself not merely as a stablecoin issuer, but as the financial infrastructure provider for what executives believe will become an AI-native economy.
Alongside Arc, Circle also unveiled what it calls its Agent Stack — a suite of tools designed specifically for autonomous AI agents and software systems.
The platform includes:
- AI-compatible digital wallets
- Automated transaction systems
- Nanopayment infrastructure
- AI marketplaces
- Contract execution tools using USDC
The goal is to enable AI systems themselves — not just humans — to transact, purchase services, negotiate agreements, and move value digitally without direct human involvement.
That vision is attracting serious institutional attention.
Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock’s global head of digital assets, said the investment provides the firm with exposure to the future of stablecoin-based settlement and foreign exchange systems operating directly on-chain.
For firms like Apollo, ICE, and Standard Chartered, the investment reflects growing belief that blockchain-based settlement infrastructure may eventually underpin significant portions of the next-generation financial system — particularly as AI systems increasingly automate commercial and financial activity.
The implications extend far beyond cryptocurrency markets.
If AI agents begin independently managing supply chains, executing trades, purchasing services, coordinating logistics, or interacting economically online, those systems will require native payment rails capable of operating continuously, globally, and automatically.
Circle is betting that stablecoin infrastructure and blockchain networks like Arc become those rails.
Markets reacted positively to the announcement.
Circle shares rose roughly 2.5% in premarket trading Monday following the disclosure.
The company also reported first-quarter revenue and reserve income of approximately $694 million, up about 20% year-over-year, though slightly below analyst expectations.
But for investors, the Arc announcement overshadowed the earnings numbers themselves.
What Circle unveiled Monday was not simply a new blockchain project.
It was a direct bet that the next phase of the internet economy — one increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, autonomous software systems, and digital financial settlement — will require entirely new infrastructure to function.
And Circle wants to become the company building it.
JBizNews Desk
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