Circle's public blockchain Arc completes a token financing of $222 million, with participation from BlackRock, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, and others

According to an exclusive report by CNBC, Circle Internet Group raised $222 million through the presale of its native token from the new blockchain Arc, achieving a fully diluted network valuation of $3 billion. Andreessen Horowitz led the investment with $75 million, with participation from over a dozen institutions including BlackRock, Apollo Funds, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Standard Chartered Ventures, ARK Invest, and Bullish.

Arc is a public blockchain designed for institutional finance. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire stated that the company is transforming from a stablecoin issuer into a broader internet platform company, entering the operating system and application business. In terms of token distribution, Circle holds 25% of the initial supply of 10 billion tokens, 60% is allocated to network builders and participants, and 15% is reserved for long-term use. Circle also released a set of tools to help developers build AI agents, supporting transactions and payments using USDC. This is the first publicly traded company to conduct a token presale, and Allaire stated that all companies will achieve tokenization in the future.