[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang (황치규)] IT-based information services company Hecto Innovation is stepping up efforts to expand the domestic ecosystem as a partner of Circle's blockchain mainnet Arc.

Hecto Innovation is recruiting early-bird partners that want to use Arc through its website. Companies interested in entering the stablecoin business, or that want to link Arc to services, can apply.

According to Hecto Innovation, participating early-bird companies can review core functions needed for blockchain financial services in advance, including creating Arc chain wallets, checking deposit and withdrawal histories, and monitoring transactions. They can also carry out technical validation early to secure a foundation for preempting the Arc ecosystem.

Hecto Innovation plans to support participating companies by providing digital asset wallet technology as software as a service through Octet, a digital asset wallet development API service of its affiliate Hecto Wallet One. It aims to help them rapidly develop their own wallet services while complying with regulations at minimal cost.

A Hecto Innovation official said the company plans to support firms preparing Arc-based services so they can check and build required technologies in advance, including wallet creation, key management and deposit and withdrawal monitoring, even before the mainnet launch. The official said the company hopes early-bird participation will allow firms to quickly validate services with minimal development burden and seek to preempt the Arc ecosystem and secure market leadership.

Circle's U.S. dollar stablecoin USDC is a key infrastructure for digital finance, including payments and remittances. According to Circle's earnings release, first-quarter USDC transaction volume rose about fourfold from a year earlier to $21.5 trillion. That accounts for about 63 percent of global stablecoin transactions, and the number of active wallets in actual use also totals 7.2 million.