Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, recently launched the public testnet for Arc, its new EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain. The project aims to build an economic operating system for the internet by deeply integrating programmable stablecoins with on-chain financial innovation.

Designed specifically for financial applications, Arc focuses on serving global payments, foreign exchange, lending, and capital markets. It seeks to solve common issues that hinder enterprise adoption of public blockchains, including insufficient performance for high-frequency trading, a lack of privacy and compliance features, and volatile transaction fees. By creating a stable fee model and optimized architecture, Arc intends to provide a secure and scalable settlement layer for programmable currency.

Navigating the Arc Testnet

For users looking to explore the new network, a series of interactions can be performed. The process begins with adding the Arc Testnet to a compatible crypto wallet and then claiming testnet tokens, including both USDC and EURC, from the official project faucet.

Once the wallet is funded, participants can generate on-chain activity through several decentralized applications. Key tasks include sending “GM” messages and deploying basic smart contracts. These actions can be completed on platforms like OnChainGM and ZKCODEX, which have integrated support for the Arc testnet.

Further engagement involves more specific contract deployments. On the ZKCODEX platform, users can deploy token and NFT contracts and also mint a commemorative NFT. Another recommended step is to register a unique .arc domain name through the InfinityName service, which helps establish a persistent identity on the network.

This early phase of interaction demonstrates the core functionalities of the blockchain. The ecosystem is already expanding, with Arc announcing on October 30 the first 11 projects building on its public testnet. Participating in such testnets is a common way for users to familiarize themselves with a new ecosystem and position themselves for potential future rewards.