Arc is a layer-1 blockchain built by Circle. It is EVM-compatible, so it works like Ethereum for wallets and contracts, with one big difference: the gas token is USDC, not ETH. This guide covers the four things you need: a wallet, USDC on Arc, a way to move it there, and a set of habits that protect it.
Network details change. For the current chain ID, RPC and explorer, always use the official Arc docs at https://docs.arc.io. If a website, a bot or a DM gives you different values, trust the docs.
1. Get a wallet
Any EVM wallet that lets you add a custom network can be used on Arc. Arc signs transactions with the same cryptography as Ethereum, so your wallet does not need anything special.
- Install the wallet from its official site or the official app store. Check the publisher name. Fake wallet apps are common.
- Write the seed phrase on paper. Keep it offline. Never type it into a website, a form, a bot or a chat.
- Add Arc as a network using the values from https://docs.arc.io. The docs have a page on adding Arc to a wallet.
- Use a separate wallet for trying new tokens. Keep long-term funds in a wallet that never touches new contracts.
2. USDC is the gas
On most EVM chains you need a second, volatile coin to pay fees. On Arc you do not. Every fee is paid in USDC, so you hold one asset for both gas and transfers.
What that means in practice:
- Fees are priced in dollars and stay small and predictable.
- You need a little USDC in your wallet before you can do anything, including approvals and transfers.
- Do not send ETH to Arc. It has no use as gas there.
- Your wallet may show USDC once as the native balance. That is the same money you use for gas and for payments, not two separate balances.
Transactions on Arc are final in under a second. There are no reorgs. That is good for speed and bad for mistakes: a transfer to the wrong address cannot be pulled back.
3. Move USDC to Arc
You have three routes. Which one works for you depends on where your money is now.
From an exchange. Some exchanges let you withdraw USDC directly to Arc. Check the withdrawal screen for Arc as a network. If it is not listed, do not pick a different network and hope: the funds will land on the wrong chain.
From another chain. Circle’s own transfer protocol (CCTP) moves USDC between supported chains by burning it on one side and minting it on the other. Wallets and bridge apps build on top of it. Use only bridge apps that are linked from the official Arc docs or from Circle. Search results and ads for “Arc bridge” are a known trap.
From someone else on Arc. A plain USDC transfer from another Arc wallet. Ask for a small test amount first.
Whatever route you take:
- Send a small test amount first. Wait until it arrives. Then send the rest.
- Copy addresses, never type them. Compare the first and last six characters after pasting.
- Keep enough USDC on Arc for a few transactions so you are never stuck without gas.
4. Before you buy anything
New tokens on Arc launch fast and in huge numbers. Many never get a single buyer, and bots are usually first in. Before you put money into a token:
- Get the contract address from the project’s own channel, then compare it with what others post. Fake contracts with the same name and ticker appear within minutes.
- Paste the address into /check. Ten checks, every line linked to the chain: contract powers, liquidity lock, bots, insiders, burns, owner, fees, team supply, top-10 holders and source.
- Read the red lines, not just the green ones. Green means our checks did not find that issue. It does not mean nothing can go wrong.
- Never approve unlimited spending to a contract you do not know. Review open approvals now and then and revoke what you no longer use.
5. Habits that protect your funds
Most losses in crypto are not hacks. They are people being talked into signing something.
- Never share your seed phrase or private key. No admin, no support desk, no bot and no airdrop needs it. Anyone who asks is stealing.
- Admins never DM first. If someone from “the team” or “support” messages you, it is not us. Our channels are listed on the security page.
- No wallet connect for checks. Reading the chain does not need your wallet. A site that asks you to connect or sign just to “verify” or “check” is a red flag.
- Read what you sign. If your wallet shows a request you do not understand, reject it. A rejected request costs nothing.
- Bookmark the real sites. Open them from your bookmarks, not from links in chats or search ads.
- Slow down when it feels urgent. Countdowns, “last chance” and “only a few spots left” are pressure tools. Real launches publish the plan in advance.
Where to read more
- Official Arc documentation: https://docs.arc.io
- What NoPeek never asks you for: /security
- How the ten checks work: /check
Crypto is risky. You can lose everything. Not financial advice.