Circle Q2 Reports $73.3B USDC Supply & Confirms Arc Mainnet Launch
Circle released its second-quarter 2026 financial report today, August 5, 2026, on the social media platform X. The report shows steady growth in the company’s stablecoin business and highlights major plans for the coming months. The company reported higher USDC circulation, expanded institutional partnerships, and confirmed on X that its Arc blockchain network will finally launch on September 16, 2026.
This update comes after Circle secured approval to establish a U.S. national trust bank, a move that could strengthen its position in the regulated stablecoin market.
USDC Growth Remains Strong Despite Slower Crypto Market
Circle said in the report that the circulation of USDC (a stablecoin issued by Circle) reached $73.3 billion at the end of the second quarter, a 19% year-over-year increase. During the same period, USDC processed $14.8 trillion in on-chain transaction volume, reflecting strong demand for a dollar-backed stablecoin across blockchain networks.
The company reported that it has also generated $701 million in total revenue and reserve income during the quarter, up 7% from a year earlier. The adjusted EBITDA also climbed to $143 million, while net income returned to $48 million after being affected by IPO-related stock compensation costs in the previous year.
Although Circle acknowledged that its higher interest rates and a slower crypto market have affected near-term activity, the numbers indicate that the adoption of its products continues to grow.
Arc Mainnet Set for September Debut
One of the biggest announcements in the earnings report was the confirmation of the fact that Arc’s mainnet will go live on September 16.
According to Circle, the blockchain has already attracted more than 100 ecosystem and institutional builders ahead of the launch. The network is designed to support programmable finance, tokenized real-world assets, privacy features, and AI-powered financial applications.
Circle also revealed the founding validator group that will be helping the company secure the network. The list includes major financial institutions such as BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, Global Payments, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, and Visa.
The company also added that several institutions are already exploring or building integrations with Arc. These efforts include tokenized asset settlement, digital asset custody, foreign exchange infrastructure, and stablecoin services.
Federal Trust Bank Approval Marks Major Regulatory Win
The company also highlighted that it received approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Circle National Trust.
The approval makes Circle one of the first stablecoin issuers with a federal trust bank charter. The net entity will be authorized to provide federally regulated digital asset custody services and could eventually manage the reserves backing USDC.
The company also received approval from the New York Department of Financial Services to launch Circle New York Trust, further expanding its regulated financial infrastructure in the United States.
Institutional Adoption Continues to Expand
Circle has also announced a few major partnerships that aim to increase USDC adoption across the traditional finance sector.
Among the latest developments, BNY expanded its partnership to offer USDC minting and redemption directly through its digital asset custody platform. Standard Chartered introduced integrated USDC access for institutional clients, while Nium connected USDC settlements to its payment network spanning more than 190 countries.
The company also disclosed collaborations involving JCB in Japan, Grupo Bind in Argentina, Marex for regulated derivatives collateral, and Kakao Group in South Korea as interest in stablecoin payments continues to spread globally.
CEO Says Circle is Building the Internet Financial System
In the report, Jeremy Allaire, co-founder and CEO of Circle, said, “Our quarterly financial results reflect the current rate environment and a crypto market that has slowed – both are conditions outside our network. But near-term activity tells a different story. We received our federal trust bank charter; Arc is launching on public mainnet September 16th; we launched the Agent Stack to put programmable money at the center of the agentic economy; and the institutions using USDC today, like BlackRock, BNY, and Standard Chartered, aren’t piloting; they are expanding.”
The company also pointed out that USDC accounted for almost 7% of all stablecoin transaction volume in June, citing Visa Onchain Analytics and highlighting its growing role in blockchain-based payments.
