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Wirex says Circle's Arc settles card transactions in USDC without an intermediary bank

Wirex launched on Circle's Arc mainnet on day one and says it can settle Visa and Mastercard card transactions directly in USDC and EURC without an intermediary bank.

Why it matters

Direct settlement in USDC and EURC would remove an intermediary bank and its settlement window from card payments, which is the part of the stablecoin payment stack that has kept most programs dependent on sponsors. Only one outlet reported this and the claim that Arc's settlement speed reaches consumers through the payments stack is the company's own, so the practical effect is unproven.

Key facts

Jeremy Allaire called the Arc mainnet launch the single most significant launch in Circle's history since USDC itself.

Reported by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

Arc was built for financial markets and uses USDC for gas.

Reported by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

Visa and Mastercard participate as validators on Arc, securing the blockchain.

Reported by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

Wirex launched on Arc's mainnet on day one.

Reported by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

Wirex integrated Arc into its stablecoin payments infrastructure, including Wirex One, its new onchain banking product.

Reported by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

Wirex says it holds principal membership with both Visa and Mastercard.

Reported by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

Wirex says it can settle card transactions directly in USDC and EURC without an intermediary bank.

Reported by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

What happened

Circle's Arc mainnet went live last week, and Jeremy Allaire called it the single most significant launch in Circle's history since USDC itself, Crypto News reported. The chain is built for financial markets, uses USDC for gas, and has Visa and Mastercard running as validators. Wirex launched on Arc on day one and folded the network into its stablecoin payments infrastructure, including Wirex One, a new onchain banking product. The outlet notes that validator status is not the same as consumer spend: most stablecoin card programs lack direct membership in the major card networks and rely on a BIN sponsor or program manager, which adds cost and settlement windows. Wirex says it holds principal membership with both Visa and Mastercard and can settle card transactions directly in USDC and EURC without an intermediary bank, which the outlet frames as a way Arc's sub-second settlement could travel further through the payment stack. No second outlet covers this, so every claim here rests on Crypto News alone and none of it is independently confirmed.

How the story developed

  1. First report

    First report by Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

    Circle’s Arc Can Settle in Under a Second. Wirex Says the Hard Part Comes Next

    Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

  2. Update

    Circle's Arc mainnet goes live with USDC as gas and Visa and Mastercard as validators

    Jeremy Allaire called it the single most significant launch in Circle's history since USDC itself.

    Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

  3. Official statement

    Wirex states it can settle Visa and Mastercard card transactions in USDC and EURC without an intermediary bank

    A company claim, not independently confirmed by any other outlet.

    Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

  4. Update

    Wirex launches on Arc mainnet on day one and wires the network into its payments infrastructure

    The integration covers Wirex One, the company's new onchain banking product.

    Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)

Affected entities

Original sources

PublisherReportRolePublished
Crypto News (CryptoNews.net)
Aggregator
Circle’s Arc Can Settle in Under a Second. Wirex Says the Hard Part Comes NextOriginal