Circle (CRCL), the firm behind the $76 billion stablecoin USDC (USDC) is inching closer towards launching its payments-focused Arc blockchain, starting a test phase with a wide roster of institutional partners. The firm said on Tuesday it has deployed Arc's public testnet version, allowing over 100 financial institutions, asset managers and tech firms already involved, such as Visa, HSBC, BlackRock and Anthropic. "Combined, these companies reach billions of users, move, exchange, and custody hundreds of ...