Kraken enables Arc USDC deposits as Robinhood adds seventh USDC network
By 8bitcrypto
September 17, 2026
On September 16, the same day Circle’s Arc public mainnet went live, Kraken posted that USDC deposits and withdrawals on Arc are available, and secondary desks reported Robinhood adding Arc as a USDC transfer network. For Stablecoin Settlement readers who already saw 8bitcrypto’s Arc fee and OpenSea Arc NFT notes, this file is the funding rail: how retail and exchange users actually move dollar stablecoins onto the new L1 without a bridge hop.
Kraken’s product post says Arc is an open, EVM-compatible Layer 1 built for financial markets and real-time money movement, with stablecoin gas starting with USDC, deterministic finality under a second, opt-in privacy controls, and a known institutional validator set integrated with Circle’s platform (USDC, CCTP, Gateway). The exchange warns users to deposit only on supported networks—wrong-network deposits can be lost—and notes trading via Kraken App and Instant Buy waits on liquidity conditions, with geographic restrictions possible. Attribute those operational caveats to Kraken’s own notice.
Circle’s Arc mainnet press release the same day lists founding validators rolling out in phases—including BlackRock, DTCC, ICE, Mastercard, Visa, Worldpay, and others—plus more than 100 applications and builders on day one. Circle cites USDC circulation above $74 billion and design pillars such as USDC gas, sub-second finality, StableFX for 24/7 FX settlement, and agentic economy tooling. CEO Jeremy Allaire called Arc Circle’s most significant launch since USDC. Those are company claims from the release, not independent volume proofs for NFT floors.
Robinhood coverage places Arc as the brokerage’s seventh USDC network after Arbitrum, Base, Ethereum, Optimism, Polygon, and Solana—direct deposit/withdraw without wrapping. Circle’s partner roster also names Robinhood among onchain trading participants at launch. Treat Robinhood’s day-one Arc support as reported by secondary desks citing the app’s announcement; verify live Robinhood network menus before assuming every jurisdiction can fund Arc USDC today.
For NFT collectors, the settlement read is practical. Bid currency still clears on OpenSea and Magic Eden wallets, but exchange on/off-ramps that speak Arc USDC shorten the path from fiat → stablecoin → onchain inventory. It does not mean Arc replaces Solana NFT venues overnight, or that Kraken Instant Buy is already liquid for Arc pairs. Watch Kraken’s liquidity gate for trading, Robinhood’s supported-region list, and whether marketplace desks add Arc-native NFT settlement beyond the earlier OpenSea Arc token/NFT work 8bitcrypto already logged.
Circle also disclosed a genesis mint of 10 billion ARC tokens as a technical milestone while stating the mint is not a commitment to a public ARC offering, with a possible Proof-of-Authority to Proof-of-Stake exploration in 2027. Keep that token roadmap separate from today’s USDC funding news: collectors moving dollars onto Arc via Kraken still pay gas in USDC per Circle’s design pitch, not in a newly launched public ARC float.
What Thursday’s file proves is narrow. Kraken enabled USDC funding on Arc the day Circle’s public mainnet launched, with Robinhood reported adding Arc USDC transfers as a seventh network. What it does not prove is that every collector can already trade Arc markets on Kraken Instant Buy, or that NFT floors will reprice solely because another CEX opened deposits. Confirm live deposit screens and liquidity notices before treating Arc USDC as frictionless bid fuel.
For 8bitcrypto readers on September 17, the clean Settlement line is exchange and brokerage funding rails lighting up for USDC-as-gas on Arc the same day the L1 opened—dollar settlement plumbing for marketplace wallets, not a new PFP mint calendar.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or trading advice. The NFT market is highly volatile, and past performance is not indicative of future results. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions related to digital assets. The cover image for this article may have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).