Circle Internet Group Gains 16% as Arc Blockchain Raise Draws Blackrock and Apollo

"Circle Internet Group (NYSE: CRCL) closed roughly 16% higher on Monday at Wall Street's close, after the stablecoin issuer announced a $222 million pre-launch token sale for its new layer-one (L1) blockchain project, Arc, backed by Blackrock, A16z, Apollo, and Ark Invest."

"Blackrock, A16z, and Apollo backed Circle's $222M Arc token presale at a $3B fully diluted valuation. USDC onchain transaction volume hit $21.5 trillion in Q1 2026, up 263% year-over-year. Shares of CRCL traded between $129 and $134 on heavy volume, touching intraday highs near 19% before settling into the close."

"Circle reported total revenue and reserve income of $694 million for Q1, up 20% year-over-year but short of some Street estimates near $715 million. Net income from continuing operations came in at $55 million, down 15% from the prior-year period, pressured by higher post-IPO stock-based compensation and growth spending. Adjusted EBITDA climbed roughly 24%."

"The numbers investors focused on were the USDC metrics. USDC in circulation reached $77.0 billion at quarter-end, a 28% increase year-over-year. Onchain transaction volume processed through USDC hit $21.5 trillion for the quarter, up 263% from Q1 2025. That figure spans payments, decentralized finance (DeFi), and tokenized assets, and it showed the network handling real transactio"

Circle Internet Group shares increased about 16% after announcing a $222 million pre-launch token sale for its new layer-one blockchain project, Arc. Arc is backed by major investors including Blackrock, A16z, Apollo, and Ark Invest, and the presale values the project at a $3 billion fully diluted valuation. The same day, Circle reported Q1 2026 results with total revenue and reserve income of $694 million, up 20% year-over-year, and net income from continuing operations of $55 million, down 15%. Adjusted EBITDA rose about 24%. USDC adoption drove investor focus, with USDC in circulation reaching $77.0 billion and onchain transaction volume reaching $21.5 trillion, up 263% year-over-year.

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