Circle's $222M Arc token presale: major backers, but unverified?
6.6 Investments Circle reportedly raised $222M in an ARC token presale for its Arc blockchain at a $3B valuation, but some sources say the claim is unverified, with official filings only confirming a public testnet launch.
Circle has reportedly raised $222 million in a presale of its ARC token, linked to its new Arc blockchain, achieving a fully diluted valuation of $3 billion. The funding round was led by a16z crypto with a $75 million commitment and included major investors such as BlackRock, Apollo Funds, Intercontinental Exchange, SBI Group, Janus Henderson, Standard Chartered Ventures, General Catalyst, Marshall Wace, ARK Invest, IDG Capital, Haun Ventures, and Bullish. The ARC token is designed to support governance, validator security, and network operations on the Arc blockchain, which targets institutional finance and uses USDC as its native gas token. Notably, Circle is the first publicly listed company to conduct a token presale. The Arc blockchain offers sub-second finality, opt-in privacy, and EVM compatibility. Circle's Q1 2026 results showed total revenue and reserve income of $694 million, a 20% year-over-year increase, with USDC in circulation growing 28% to $77 billion and onchain USDC transaction volume reaching $21.5 trillion. However, some reports question the $222 million presale, noting that official Circle disclosures and regulatory filings only confirm the launch of Arc’s public testnet, not a token sale.
