In an interview with CNBC’s Sara Eisen during the 2025 Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle Internet Group ($CRCL), discussed the strategic vision for Arc, describing it as “an economic operating system for the internet.” He explained that essential financial operations are increasingly migrating onto blockchain networks, where consistent performance and cost predictability are critical.
Arc is designed to support payments, foreign exchange, lending, and capital markets activities, featuring fees in U.S. dollars, settlement times under one second, and privacy features that allow businesses to protect sensitive transaction data when necessary. The public testnet launched on October 28, with the mainnet expected by 2026, following extensive testing of smart contracts, transaction pathways, and token deployment by developers.
Allaire emphasized the role of USDC as a foundational asset for these applications, countering suggestions of stagnant growth by pointing to sustained expansion throughout 2025. He noted strong demand from emerging markets, particularly from firms seeking efficient dollar-denominated settlements without the delays and costs associated with traditional cross-border banking. The Middle East, he said, has emerged as a key region where digital dollars facilitate rapid value transfer between trading partners.
This strategic focus aligns with Circle’s ambitions in the UAE, where regulatory developments are enabling the company to serve institutional clients seeking on-chain dollar infrastructure. Allaire also cited recent U.S. legislative progress on payment stablecoins as a catalyst for broader corporate adoption of stablecoin-based solutions in payments, FX, and credit systems.
Regarding ecosystem development, he revealed that over 100 organizations spanning banking, payments, technology, and artificial intelligence are involved in the Arc initiative. He described Arc’s model as transaction-based and open, aiming for decentralized governance and widespread participation rather than centralized control.
The core proposition is clear: Arc offers a high-performance, dollar-pegged environment tailored for stablecoin-native financial services, with USDC acting as the reliable unit for both settlement and transaction fees. Allaire’s message to enterprises is that predictable pricing, rapid finality, and compliance-conscious privacy can enable more financial infrastructure to transition to programmable networks.
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Circle ($CRCL) CEO: ‘We Do See Significant Revenue Potential From Arc Over Time’
Speaking with CNBC’s Sara Eisen at the sidelines the 2025 edition of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Circle Internet Group (CRCL) Jeremy Allaire described Arc as “an economic OS for the internet,” arguing that core financial workflows are moving on chain and need predictable costs and performance. n nHe said Arc is built for payments, foreign exchange, lending, and capital-markets activity, with dollar-denominated fees, sub-second settlement, and privacy controls meant to let enterprises shield sensitive balances or flows when required. The public testnet went live Oct. 28, with mainnet targeted for 2026 after builders trial smart contracts, transaction flows, and token launches. n nRead more: Circle, Issuer of USDC, Starts Testing Arc Blockchain With Big Institutions Onboard n nAllaire emphasized USDC as the practical bridge for those use cases. He pushed back on the idea that growth is flat, saying usage has expanded through 2025 and that demand from emerging markets is “very significant,” led by firms that want to settle in dollars without the frictions of legacy cross-border banking. He singled out the Middle East, where businesses use digital dollars to move value quickly across trading partners. n nThat focus aligns with Circle’s UAE plans. Allaire referenced regulatory steps that position the company to operate in the region and support institutions that want on-chain dollar rails. He also linked momentum to policy clarity, saying recent U.S. legislation for payment stablecoins has helped larger companies integrate stablecoin payments, FX, and credit workflows. n nOn ecosystem breadth, Allaire said the Arc announcement involved well over 100 companies across banking, payments, large technology, and AI. He framed Arc’s business model as transactional and ecosystem-driven, with a long-term goal for broadly distributed operations and governance rather than a single-company walled garden. n nThe framing is straightforward: Arc supplies a dollar-priced, high-throughput environment for stablecoin-native finance, while USDC serves as the settlement and fee unit developers can plan around. Allaire’s message to enterprises was that predictable costs, fast finality, and compliance-friendly privacy can move more of the “financial guts” of commerce to programmable rails.