The ARC token: what is known, what is not
A living status page on Circle's ARC token: what the whitepaper says, what is confirmed, what is rumour, and what would count as real news. Updated whenever Circle speaks.
This page is a running ledger, not an article. Everything on it is either sourced or labelled unconfirmed, and it is updated whenever Circle makes an announcement.
Known — with sources
A whitepaper exists. In May 2026, Circle published a whitepaper describing a potential ARC token as a coordination asset for the Arc network, covering staking, economic governance and fee mechanics, in the context of Arc's planned transition from proof of authority to proof of stake. Under that design, validators and stakers would earn from protocol fees and issuance. Source: arc.io, the whitepaper itself.
No token has launched. Circle's own language is explicit: the token is exploratory, and no decision has been made regarding development, deployment or utility. Source: arc.io.
Arc mainnet launches without it. The network goes live on September 16, 2026 with USDC as its gas asset. Arc does not need a native token to operate — dollar-denominated gas is the design. Source: arc.io, docs.arc.network.
A large raise has been reported. Press reported that Circle raised roughly $222 million in an Arc token sale at a valuation around $3 billion. Circle has not published these figures itself; we cite them as press reporting, which is what they are. Source: CoinDesk.
| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| Arc public mainnet, September 16, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Arc testnet live since October 28, 2025 | Confirmed |
| Gas paid in USDC, EVM-compatible, Malachite consensus | Confirmed |
| ARC whitepaper published May 2026, exploratory | Confirmed |
| ~$222M raise at a ~$3B valuation | Press-reported, not confirmed by Circle |
| ARC token launch, supply, tokenomics or listing | No announcement exists |
| Airdrop, snapshot date, eligibility criteria | No announcement exists |
| Any ARC token trading anywhere today | False by definition |
Unconfirmed — believe none of it yet
Any launch date. Any tokenomics — supply, allocation, distribution. Any airdrop, any eligibility criteria, any snapshot date. Any exchange listing. Every specific claim in these categories currently circulating is invented. Our detailed rumour ledger is the airdrop page.
False by definition
Any ARC token trading anywhere today. Any site offering to check your airdrop eligibility with a wallet connection or signature. Any announcement not confirmed by arc.io or circle.com.
Why we publish no price page
A price page for an unlaunched token can only contain speculation dressed as data. We do not publish one, and the /arc-token/price route redirects here permanently.
What would count as real news
A post on arc.io or circle.com — those two domains are the only sources that can make ARC real. When that happens, this page updates within the hour with the sourced facts, and our newsletter subscribers get one plain-language email. No other announcement channel counts, including exchanges, influencers and news sites, this one included: we report, Circle confirms.
Sources
Daily briefing
If an ARC token is ever announced, we'll send the sourced facts
One email, within the hour of an official announcement on arc.io or circle.com. No speculation in between.
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