Stablecoin issuer Circle raised $222 million for its Arc blockchain at a $3 billion valuation, driving a 15% stock jump.
Circle’s stock climbed 15% after reporting stronger-than-expected Q1 2026 earnings and announcing a $222 million presale of its Arc blockchain token. The raise values Arc at $3 billion fully diluted, with backing from major institutions including BlackRock, a16z crypto, and ARK Invest.
The Arc blockchain, designed for institutional finance, offers sub-second finality, opt-in privacy, and EVM compatibility. Circle also launched Circle Agent Stack, an AI-powered payment tool suite built on Arc’s infrastructure. The testnet processed 166 million transactions in half-second intervals.
BTC traded at $80.7k as broader crypto markets declined ahead of today’s CPI data release.