KuCoin Arc Review: USDC Deposits, Withdrawals on Mainnet

KuCoin Arc Mainnet Integration Overview

KuCoin added support for direct USDC deposits and withdrawals on Arc Mainnet in mid-September 2026. The exchange went live as one of the first major centralized platforms when Arc’s public mainnet launched on September 16. Users select the Arc Mainnet network option under their main account assets to move USDC without needing external bridges.

Arc is an EVM-compatible layer-1 blockchain with chain ID 5042. It uses USDC as the native gas token and features sub-second finality through a permissioned validator set that includes institutions such as BlackRock, DTCC, Mastercard, Visa, and Standard Chartered. The network targets payments, treasury operations, tokenized assets, and programmable finance applications.

Deposits on KuCoin became available on September 17, 2026. Withdrawals followed shortly afterward without a separate public announcement. As of mid-October 2026, the network reported roughly $530 million in total value locked, with stablecoins comprising the majority and USDC accounting for about 98.6 percent of that figure. Daily decentralized exchange volume averaged around $12.5 million, while active addresses reached approximately 17,000.

Fees, Usability, Security, and Comparisons

KuCoin charges approximately 1 USDC for withdrawals from the exchange, with a minimum withdrawal amount of about 2 USDC. Deposits carry no exchange-side fee. Both limits and fees remain subject to change and are shown to users at the time of each transaction. Availability depends on jurisdictional eligibility rules applied by KuCoin.

The integration allows eligible users to move funds directly between the exchange and Arc applications. The process follows standard deposit and withdrawal flows inside the KuCoin interface, with the Arc network option listed alongside other supported chains. No additional software or bridging steps are required for supported accounts.

Security relies on KuCoin’s existing custody practices combined with Arc’s institutional validator set. No major incidents specific to the KuCoin-Arc connection have been reported since launch. Users should verify network selection carefully to avoid sending funds to unsupported addresses.

Compared with Kraken, which also added native Arc support at mainnet launch, KuCoin’s withdrawal fee sits at a similar level. Other exchanges still require users to bridge USDC through intermediary chains, adding extra steps and potential costs. Arc’s use of USDC for both value transfer and gas fees removes the need for a separate native token, unlike many EVM networks.

Public user feedback on forums and social channels mentions reliable deposit times and straightforward network selection. Some complaints focus on regional restrictions that prevent certain accounts from accessing the new network option. Early high activity on Arc moderated within the first month, consistent with patterns seen on other new chains.

Limitations include KuCoin’s standard account verification requirements and the fact that Arc remains in an early growth phase with ongoing validator expansions planned into 2027. No major changes to the integration have been announced as of October 19, 2026.