Circle’s cirBTC Gateway Turns Two Chains Into One Usable Bitcoin Balance

By Isaac • October 26, 2026 3:13 pm •

Circle has added its Bitcoin-backed cirBTC token to Gateway, giving holders a single deposited balance that can be used across Ethereum and Arc instead of forcing them to pre-position inventory on both networks.

That sounds like a small plumbing change. It is not.

For exchanges, wallets and payment applications, idle balances scattered across chains are expensive and awkward. A shared balance lets the same pool of cirBTC move where a customer withdrawal or payment actually needs to land.

Circle’s launch announcement says cirBTC and the euro-denominated EURC joined USDC on Gateway on October 23, expanding a system built around one unified balance for each supported asset. The company says that balance becomes available across supported destination