21X Group Partners with Circle as Day-1 Launch Partner for Arc Blockchain

On October 1, 2026, 21X Group revealed its partnership with Circle, marking its role as a Day-1 launch partner in the Arc ecosystem as it transitions to a public mainnet in both the EU and US. This collaboration aims to develop use cases for issuers and brokers of tokenized securities on the Arc blockchain.

Arc is an open, EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain designed for financial markets, facilitating real-time money movement and economic activities. It utilizes stablecoins, starting with Circle's USDC, as transaction gas.

In the EU, 21X AG operates a regulated trading and settlement system for tokenized securities, allowing institutional participants to issue, trade, and settle these assets through atomic delivery versus payment, which significantly reduces settlement times and risks. The platform currently supports USDC as a settlement currency.

On September 29, 2026, 21X LLC announced its plans to enter the US market, seeking regulatory approvals to establish a broker-dealer that will operate an alternative trading system for tokenized securities. The collaboration with Circle will explore the use of Arc for the issuance, trading, and settlement of these securities in both regions.

Prior to the mainnet launch, 21X Group and Circle successfully tested the trading of tokenized securities on Arc, achieving atomic settlement against USDC in under one second. Asset managers within the Arc ecosystem will have access to 21X AG's existing EU platform and the anticipated US platform, pending regulatory approvals.

Max Heinzle, Founder and CEO of 21X Group, emphasized that Arc is tailored for financial applications, providing an ideal environment for stablecoins and tokenized securities. Ray Tierney, CEO of 21X LLC, highlighted the importance of the US market in the next phase of tokenization, stating that joining the Arc ecosystem is a vital step in their strategy.