AKEREDOLU SAMUEL@samwissyy

Arc Pay is a username-based payment primitive built on Arc that removes wallet addresses from everyday crypto transactions. Instead of copying and pasting long addresses, users can send and receive funds using simple, human-readable usernames. The idea behind Arc Pay is to fix one of crypto’s biggest adoption barriers: poor payment UX. While blockchains have improved speed and cost, sending value still feels complex and error-prone for non-technical users. Arc Pay abstracts this complexity by mapping usernames to onchain accounts, making payments feel as easy as sending a message. Arc Pay is designed as a composable layer for the Arc ecosystem. It can power peer-to-peer transfers, creator tipping, in-game economies, and social or marketplace payments. By prioritizing simplicity, safety, and instant usability, Arc Pay brings Arc closer to mainstream consumer adoption.

In this hybrid hackathon powered by Arc, developers will build the next generation of agentic commerce systems using Arc with USDC. Explore a world where AI agents and web services can pay for APIs, data, compute, and content in dynamic, usage-based ways, while Arc provides stablecoin-native settlement with predictable USDC fees and deterministic, sub-second finality. This hackathon is supported by Google & Google DeepMind, with a dedicated challenge and $40,000 in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) credits awarded for the best use of Gemini models and Google AI Studio. 📅 January 9 – 24, 2026 • Jan 9 – 23 (Online Phase) – Collaborate and build online with developers and AI innovators from around the world. All projects must be submitted by the end of the online phase on January 23rd. • Jan 23 (On‑site Build Day – San Francisco, CA) – Selected participants will be invited to an exclusive in‑person session to refine their projects and connect directly with mentors. • Jan 24 (On‑site Demos & Awards – San Francisco, CA) – Live pitching sessions to a panel of judges and ecosystem partners, followed by the official winner announcement. Get guidance from Arc and Circle experts through on-site support. 📍 On-site Venue (Jan 23–24): MindsDB SF AI Collective 3154 17th St, San Francisco, California, USA 🤝 Go solo or team up, it's your flow. 🏆Compete for $50,000 in USDC & GCP Credits. 📍 On-site participation is by invitation only. Travel and accommodation expenses will not be covered. 🧑🏻‍💻 Secure your spot now - sign up before the Kick-Off Stream!