Circle Unifies cirBTC Balances Across Ethereum and Arc

Circle announced the integration of cirBTC into its Gateway platform on October 23. This update enables users to utilize a single balance of the Bitcoin-backed token across both the Ethereum and Arc networks.

The system treats deposits from different networks as a unified, spendable balance. This measure reduces the need to maintain available liquidity across multiple blockchains for the same asset simultaneously.

Transfers function by burning the token at the source and minting new units at the destination. The process does not involve conversion to USDC or the direct movement of native Bitcoin between networks.

The company estimates that cross-chain access occurs in less than 500 milliseconds after a deposit is finalized. Total time depends on confirmation on the Ethereum network, which takes between 13 and 19 minutes on average.

An emergency exit option exists to recover funds directly from the Gateway Wallet contract. This mechanism requires a seven-day waiting period and functions as an alternative independent of Circle's programming interface.

cirBTC is backed one-to-one by native Bitcoin held at a regulated entity. Holder assets remain segregated from the company's corporate funds.