The Arc blockchain, an EVM-compatible layer 1 developed by Circle and designed for stablecoin-native finance, has launched its mainnet. This launch necessitates a review of its available Remote Procedure Call (RPC) providers to ensure robust infrastructure for financial applications. The article compares five key providers – Chainstack, Blockdaemon, Uniblock, Alchemy, and Quicknode – evaluating their suitability for stablecoin-native financial applications, with a particular focus on compliance, deployment models, and specific tooling for the Arc ecosystem.
Arc’s mainnet opened on September 16, 2026, following a public testnet that began in October 2025. Built by Circle, the issuer of USDC, Arc aims to facilitate stablecoin-native finance, including payments, foreign exchange, treasury operations, and capital markets settlement. The article notes that the expected builders on Arc are banks, payment networks, and licensed fintechs, underscoring the need for highly reliable and compliant infrastructure.
Compliance and Infrastructure Standards
According to the article, selecting an RPC provider for stablecoin-native finance applications on Arc requires higher standards than general-purpose RPC services. Key criteria include compliance certifications such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, alongside the availability of tracing and archive access for audit trails. The article states that an endpoint lacking these features can potentially halt settlements or lead to regulatory scrutiny.
Provider Analysis
Chainstack is identified as the strongest overall fit for most teams. The article states that Chainstack supports Arc on both mainnet and testnet, offering debugging and tracing tools. It provides three deployment models from a single control plane and holds both SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications. For pricing, Chainstack offers a free Developer tier with 3 million requests per month (RU/month) and a Growth plan for $49 per month, providing 20 million RU/month.
Blockdaemon is also noted as a provider supporting Arc, positioned for institutions like banks, custodians, and funds. It also holds SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications. Blockdaemon offers a self-serve free tier with 3 million compute units per month and 5 requests per second (RPS). However, the article notes that details for their Enterprise tier require a sales conversation.
Uniblock offers a unified API across over 300 blockchains, including Arc. The source claims Uniblock offers usage-based pricing with no minimums. However, the article points out that Uniblock does not publish SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications, which the article interprets as a potential blocker for regulated banking and payments workloads.
Alchemy supports Arc with enhanced APIs, monitoring, and debugging tools. It provides a free tier offering 30 million compute units per month and holds SOC 2 Type II certification. The article states that Alchemy does not publish ISO 27001 certification.
Quicknode supports Arc with managed endpoints, tracing, and globally distributed nodes. It holds dual SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 attestations. However, the article notes that Quicknode’s free access is trial-based and credit-based, with pricing that can quickly deplete credits for audit-heavy workloads.
Conclusion
The article emphasizes that compliance-grade infrastructure, including archive and trace access paired with SOC 2 attestation, is crucial for regulated payments products. Based on these criteria, Chainstack is recommended as the strongest fit due to its comprehensive offerings, deployment options, and dual certifications.
It is important to note that the article states that mainnet availability for providers other than Chainstack needs to be reported directly with the providers, as Circle only published mainnet details at launch. The comparison reflects each provider’s testnet offering, and users are advised to suggest mainnet availability directly.
Why This Matters
The materials describe a narrow update: The article reviews and compares five RPC (Remote Procedure Call) providers for the Arc blockchain, focusing on their suitability for stablecoin-native finance applications. Mainnet availability for providers other than Chainstack needs to be reported directly with the providers, as Circle only published mainnet details at launch.
Broader Context
Source materials place the factual news in this context: Arc is the EVM-compatible layer 1 built by Circle, the issuer of USDC, purpose-built for stablecoin-native finance — payments, FX, treasury, and capital-markets settlement.
