Circle Launches Wrapped Bitcoin (cirBTC) With Chainlink Proof of Reserve

Circle has launched Circle Wrapped Bitcoin (cirBTC), a 1:1 BTC-backed token that brings native Bitcoin onto programmable networks with segregated custody and verifiable onchain reserve data.

Announced on 4 September 2026, cirBTC is live on Ethereum today, with native support planned for Circle’s Arc layer-1 blockchain once its mainnet launches.

How cirBTC’s Backing Is Structured Every cirBTC token is backed one-to-one by native Bitcoin and redeemable one-to-one for it, a wrapped token rather than a staked or derivative product.

The underlying BTC is held through a Circle affiliate and custodied by Circle National Trust, a federally chartered national trust bank supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.