- Circle released its Q2 financial results.
- The company also announced the Arc mainnet launch on September 16.
- Key metrics include $14.8 trillion in transactions, a 27% USDC market share, $73.3 billion USDC in circulation, and more.
Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, published its financial results for Q2 2026 and simultaneously announced the public launch of the Arc network on September 16.
Q2 results are out.
— Circle (@circle) August 5, 2026
→ Arc Mainnet launches September 16.
→ Founding validators joining Circle include BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, Global Payments, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, and Visa.
→ We received our federal trust bank… pic.twitter.com/3ytxQ35SG8
Among the first validators to join the network will be BlackRock, Visa, Mastercard, ICE, DTCC, Standard Chartered, Galaxy, and other global financial companies.
The company also said that USDC in circulation reached $73.3 billion by the end of the quarter, while onchain transaction volume for the quarter rose 151% year over year — to $14.8 trillion.
Circle’s financial performance also came in positive:
- Total revenue and reserve income came in at $701 million (up 7% year over year)
- Net income reached $48 million
Arc Mainnet Launch Set for September 16
The biggest announcement was the Arc mainnet launch — Circle’s blockchain network for institutional and programmable finance.
The company noted that more than 100 institutional and ecosystem developers are already building in the Arc ecosystem.
The first validator set will include BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, Global Payments, ICE, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation, and Visa.
Circle describes this as a new model of blockchain infrastructure, where the network is secured by the very financial institutions that plan to use it.
In addition:
- BlackRock plans to deploy the BUIDL fund on the Arc network
- DTCC is working on tokenizing assets held at Depository Trust Company
- BNY and Standard Chartered are testing integrations for custodial storage, stablecoin access, and settlement with tokenized assets
Circle Strengthens Its Position in the US Banking System
The company also confirmed it has received final approval from the OCC to establish Circle National Trust. This gives Circle the right to provide federally regulated custody of digital assets and opens up the possibility of independently managing USDC reserves in the future.
In parallel, the company received approval from the New York State Department of Financial Services to establish a separate trust structure, Circle New York Trust.
The company also said that the Circle Payments Network reached an annualized transaction volume equivalent of $14.7 billion, up 76% quarter over quarter. A total of 175 financial institutions have already joined the network.
USDC Expands Usage, and Circle Bets on AI Agents
According to Visa Onchain Analytics, in June 2026, USDC accounted for nearly 70% of stablecoin transaction volume.
At the same time, USDC’s market share among all stablecoins stood at 27% at the end of the quarter, while the number of “meaningful” wallets rose to 7 million.
Among its new partnerships, Circle highlighted:
- The integration of USDC into the BNY Digital Asset Custody platform
- The launch of USDC access for institutions in Argentina via Grupo Bind
- A partnership with JCB for international payments in Japan
- Exploring the integration of USDC into Kakao Group’s payments infrastructure in South Korea
- Using USDC as collateral for regulated derivatives via Marex
- Integration with Nium’s global payout network in more than 190 countries
The company placed a separate emphasis on developing the “agent economy.”
After the launch of Circle Agent Stack in May 2026, the system already offers more than 900 paid services, and 99.3% of payments via the x402 protocol are made in USDC.
Jeremy Allaire, Circle co-founder and CEO, noted:
“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 have built the platform for the internet financial system – for traditional and digital finance, real-world assets, and the institutions that move the world’s capital. That trust is earned, not assumed, and it took over a decade to build.”
Circle also raised its 2026 outlook for services and infrastructure revenue — from $150 million-$170 million to $310 million-$330 million — reflecting the company’s bet on new products, institutional integrations, and infrastructure for AI agents.
As a reminder, Circle previously announced the acquisition of nearly 1,000 IBM patents across blockchain, fintech, and digital infrastructure.
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