Matrixdock, the RWA tokenization platform under BIT (formerly Matrixport), has announced that its tokenized gold asset, XAUm, is now live on Arc, a Layer-1 blockchain built by Circle, becoming the first tokenized gold asset on Arc. Meanwhile, eligible XAUm redemptions can be settled in USDC on the same day upon meeting applicable terms and requirements; liquidity for XAUm/USDC is also available via Uniswap.
This means that XAUm’s launch on Arc is more than just a new network deployment. As physical gold reserves, USDC liquidity, and on-chain markets become more interconnected, gold—the traditional reserve asset—is beginning to move beyond mere on-chain “holding” into broader use cases such as settlement, trading, and collateralization.
Gold enters on-chain finance, beyond just "going on-chain"
Gold has long been a vital reserve asset in the global financial system. According to data from the European Central Bank (ECB), gold accounted for 27% of global official reserves by the end of 2025. As the on-chain market continues to mature, demand for reserve assets beyond the U.S. dollar is growing. Whether for asset diversification, collateralization, or balance sheet management, the role gold plays in traditional finance provides a natural foundation for its adoption in on-chain markets.
But the issue is that traditional gold was not designed for on-chain finance. For a long time, ownership, custody, and settlement of gold have been spread across different systems, forming a relatively independent infrastructure centered around physical bars and precious metal accounts, which still differs significantly from the programmable on-chain dollar system.
XAUm connects these two previously relatively independent systems. Each XAUm represents one troy ounce of 99.99% pure physical gold, sourced directly from LBMA Good Delivery refineries and stored in allocated form in professional vaults operated by Brink's and Malca-Amit in Hong Kong and Singapore. At the reserve verification level, XAUm provides token-to-bar allocation records, monthly reserve asset reports, and on-chain Proof of Reserves, with independent physical audits conducted by Bureau Veritas.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Singapore are also accelerating the development of next-generation gold settlement infrastructure, with Hong Kong planning to increase its gold storage capacity to over 2,000 tons within the next three years. XAUm’s physical reserves are situated within this expanding Asian gold infrastructure, and the launch of Arc further connects this real-world reserve asset to an open blockchain network serving financial markets and on-chain economic activity.
From T+2 to same-day USDC receipt: How gold connects to on-chain dollars
If "gold on-chain" addresses how assets enter the blockchain, a more practical question is: once on-chain, how can gold be more efficiently connected to digital dollars and on-chain markets?
Traditional London gold typically settles on a T+2 basis. For unallocated metal, which is essentially a claim against a gold bank, settlement is completed through book entries between clearing accounts; however, once physical delivery outside London is involved, this settlement cycle no longer applies, and additional logistics and verification steps are required, with related processes often taking days to complete.
After XAUm launched on Arc, a new connection pathway has been established. For eligible XAUm redemptions, holders can receive USDC redemption proceeds on the same day upon submitting the required transaction documentation. This creates a more efficient link between tokenized gold and on-chain USD liquidity, without altering the underlying custody, sale, or settlement mechanisms for physical gold.
Eva Meng, head of Matrixdock, said: "For centuries, gold has been an institutional reserve asset, but holding gold and using gold have always been two different things. On Arc, gold and dollar liquidity are no longer separated—they exist on the same network, the same settlement layer, and achieve same-day fund settlement. This is transforming how this five-thousand-year-old asset operates."
Circle’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, Nikhil Chandhok, said: “Tokenization enhances capital efficiency for investors and enables asset issuers to reach a broader global market, addressing certain limitations of traditional market infrastructure. When tokenized assets are combined with regulated, highly liquid stablecoins like USDC and integrated into institutional-grade on-chain markets, their practical value is further amplified. Matrixdock’s launch of XAUm on Arc further enhances the on-chain utility of tokenized gold and expands its market reach.”
From holding gold to trading, lending, and collateralization
Beyond settlement, liquidity is also a crucial step for gold’s further integration into on-chain finance. Currently, XAUm/USDC liquidity is available via Uniswap, enabling on-chain exchanges between tokenized gold and USDC on Arc.
Building on this, XAUm is also expanding beyond simple gold ownership to encompass a broader range of on-chain financial use cases. Its deployment on Arc lays the foundation for verifiable gold reserve assets to participate in on-chain financial applications such as trading, lending, and collateralization. In the future, Matrixdock and third-party developers will continue exploring additional applications, and relevant integrations will be announced by the respective service providers once conditions are met.
This is also part of Matrixdock’s strategy to build a Reserve Layer for on-chain finance. In addition to gold (XAUm), Matrixdock issues Matrixdock Silver (XAGm) to bring more verifiable real-world reserve assets on-chain, while gradually building the infrastructure to support trading, settlement, and use as collateral for these assets.
From verifiable gold reserves to USDC liquidity, and further to use cases such as trading, lending, and collateralization, XAUm’s launch on Arc marks a further evolution of tokenized gold—from “assets on-chain” to “on-chain applications.”
Original link: https://www.matrixdock.com/blog/announcements/matrixdock-brings-tokenized-gold-xaum-to-arc-with-same-day-usdc-redemption