KuCoin, a centralized cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2017 and based in the Turks and Caicos Islands, has added support for Arc as the blockchain opened its public mainnet, allowing eligible users to transfer USDC directly between the crypto exchange and the new Layer-1 network.
The integration gives Arc users another centralized-exchange route for moving USDC onto and off the network from launch day, potentially removing the need to first withdraw funds to another blockchain and then bridge them separately.
KuCoin announced the integration on September 16, saying direct USDC transfers between its platform and Arc are available to eligible users. The company did not disclose transfer fees, withdrawal limits, or whether Arc support is available across every jurisdiction in which KuCoin operates.
The rollout coincides with Arc’s September 16 public mainnet launch, taking the network launched by Arc Network Services LLC and closely tied to Circle Internet Group, the issuer of USDC, beyond the private mainnet phase it had been operating with more than 100 institutional and ecosystem builders.
Why KuCoin’s Arc Integration Matters
For users, the significance is less about adding another blockchain option to an exchange and more about reducing friction when entering Arc’s ecosystem.
Without direct exchange support, a user holding USDC on a centralized platform may have to withdraw it over another supported network and then use a bridge or cross-chain service to reach Arc. Direct Arc withdrawals and deposits can shorten that process, provided the service is available to the user.
That distribution layer could be important for Arc because the network is being positioned primarily around stablecoin payments, tokenized assets, foreign exchange, treasury operations, and programmable financial applications, rather than solely around crypto trading.
BC Wong, CEO of KuCoin, said access would be an important part of blockchain adoption as financial activity moves onchain, arguing that infrastructure needs to be reliably reachable by both users and institutions.
Still, KuCoin is not Arc’s only access or infrastructure partner.
Circle previously named a wider group of wallets, exchanges, and infrastructure providers preparing Arc integrations, including Binance, Bybit, Gate, Kraken, OKX, Upbit, Binance Wallet, MetaMask, Ledger, Fireblocks, Chainlink, and Uniswap.
KuCoin therefore adds another distribution channel to a broader ecosystem rather than serving as Arc’s exclusive exchange gateway.
What Is Arc and Why Is USDC Central to the Network?
Arc is a Layer-1 blockchain built for stablecoin-based financial applications and closely tied to Circle’s broader USDC infrastructure.
Unlike many Layer-1 networks that require users to hold a separate native asset to pay transaction fees, Arc uses USDC as its native gas asset. That means users can use the same dollar-denominated stablecoin both to transact and pay network fees.
Arc also says it offers deterministic sub-second finality and dollar-denominated transaction costs, features aimed at applications where predictable settlement costs and transaction timing matter. Circle has highlighted payments, foreign exchange and capital markets among the network’s intended use cases.
The network’s institutional push is also notable.
Circle announced in August that Arc’s founding validator cohort would include BlackRock, DTCC, Galaxy, Global Payments, Intercontinental Exchange, Mastercard, MoneyGram, SBI Group, Standard Chartered, Sumitomo Corporation and Visa. More than 100 companies and ecosystem participants had been working with Arc ahead of the public mainnet rollout, according to Circle.
That lineup reflects Circle’s attempt to position Arc as infrastructure capable of serving both crypto-native applications and traditional financial institutions.
Arc Is Open to Users, But Its Validator Model Is Curated
One detail users should distinguish is the difference between access to the blockchain and participation in its consensus layer.
Arc is described as an open Layer-1 network, but the disclosure accompanying KuCoin’s announcement states that it currently operates with a permissioned validator set. Circle has separately described the initial validators as a curated cohort of financial and infrastructure institutions.
That makes Arc’s launch architecture different from blockchains where anyone meeting technical or staking requirements can immediately participate as a validator.
The disclosure also notes that Arc itself has not been reviewed or approved by the New York State Department of Financial Services or another regulator and warns that blockchain use carries risks including smart-contract failures, network disruptions and irreversible transaction errors.
Those caveats are relevant as Arc attempts to attract institutional financial activity while maintaining an open application ecosystem.
Exchange Access Could Be an Early Test for Arc
Arc’s September launch moves the network from an infrastructure-building phase into a more practical test: whether users, developers, and financial institutions actually move meaningful activity onto it.
KuCoin’s direct USDC support addresses one piece of that challenge by making the network accessible from an established centralized exchange.
But exchange integrations alone will not determine Arc’s adoption. Usage will depend on whether applications built on the network can attract liquidity and transactions across payments, tokenized assets, DeFi, and other financial services.
For Arc, the next metric to watch is therefore not simply the number of launch partners, but how much real economic activity those integrations ultimately bring onchain.
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