Canonical: https://builtonarc.app/guides/is-arcpunks-on-arc-legit # ArcPunks on Arc: here's what's verifiable Updated 2026-09-02. What's confirmed about ArcPunks on Arc as of 2 Sep 2026 — sites, mint date, team, contracts — and what isn't. Evidence, not a verdict. > ArcPunks describes itself as a 10,000-piece generative NFT collection built for Arc, with a mint date pointing at 16 September 2026 — the same day Arc mainnet goes live. As of 2 Sep 2026, no team is named, no contract address is published, and there are two separate websites using near-identical branding. This page lists what's confirmed and what isn't. It does not rate the project. **Builds on Arc:** A claimed 10,000-piece generative NFT collection targeting Arc's mainnet launch day. · **Role:** Deploys · **Category:** Launchpads, NFT & Meme → NFT collections · [Project page](/project/arcpunks) ## Two sites, one name A search for ArcPunks turns up two live websites: **arcpunks.xyz** and **arc-punks.xyz**. Both present themselves as an ArcPunks NFT collection on Arc. arcpunks.xyz describes "10,000 uniquely generated ArcPunks, built for Arc L1," states a mint date of 16 September 2026, and explicitly notes it is "not affiliated with Arc L1" (the chain itself). Its linked X account is @Arc_Punks. arc-punks.xyz presents a mint/portfolio/marketplace interface showing "10,000 genesis punks," "0.0% minted," and links a different X account, @ArcPunksNFT. Whether these are the same team running two domains, two unrelated projects that landed on similar names, or one site copying the other is **not verifiable as of 2 Sep 2026**. Built on Arc has not found a statement from either site addressing the other's existence. Anyone considering either site should treat the duplication itself as a fact to weigh, not a detail to skip past. ## What each site actually shows Both sites function as live web pages with working navigation — that much is directly checkable by visiting them. Beyond that: - **Mint mechanics**: arcpunks.xyz names a mint date (16 Sep 2026) but no price. arc-punks.xyz shows a live-looking mint counter at 0% with no price displayed either. - **Supply**: both claim 10,000 pieces. - **Team**: neither site names individuals, a studio, or a legal entity. - **Contract address**: neither publishes one — expected, since Arc mainnet itself is not live until 16 Sep 2026, so no ArcPunks contract can yet be deployed and verified on a live Arc explorer. - **Documentation, GitHub, audit**: none found on either domain. - **Circle or Arc acknowledgement**: neither site appears in Circle's Alliance Directory or any Circle-published materials Built on Arc could locate. ## Why the mint date matters Choosing 16 September 2026 — Arc's mainnet launch day — as a mint date is not itself evidence of anything, good or bad. It's a common pattern for chain-native NFT projects to target a network's launch day for visibility. It does mean the collection's actual on-chain existence cannot be checked yet: there is no live Arc mainnet explorer today, and the official mainnet explorer and RPC URLs were not published as of 2 Sep 2026. Once mainnet is live, a genuine mint will produce a verifiable contract address on whatever block explorer Circle or the community stands up — that is the first thing to check on or after 16 Sep. ## Status and on-chain checks **Status:** Announced only — mint date of 16 Sep 2026 claimed, nothing deployable until Arc mainnet exists. **On-chain checks (Deploys role):** Contract — cannot exist yet; check on/after mainnet launch. Audit — none found. ## How to check it yourself Do not take this page's word for any of the above — it will be stale the moment new information surfaces. Before minting from either domain: search the exact domain name plus "scam" and "rug" and read what comes up; check whether the X accounts linked from each site have a posting history predating September 2026 or were created recently; once Arc mainnet is live, look up any published contract address on the official explorer and confirm the deployer address matches what the project's own social accounts post. Built on Arc's general walkthrough on how to research an Arc project before using it covers the same checklist in more depth: [/guides/how-to-read-an-arc-project-entry](/guides/how-to-read-an-arc-project-entry). See also the project entry at [/project/arcpunks](/project/arcpunks). For wallet setup and safe minting practices generally on Arc, Meme Central's guides cover the mechanics: [https://memecentral.fun/guides/best-wallets-for-arc?utm_source=builtonarc&utm_medium=guide&utm_campaign=arc](https://memecentral.fun/guides/best-wallets-for-arc?utm_source=builtonarc&utm_medium=guide&utm_campaign=arc). Sources: - [ArcPunks — 10,000 Punks Onchain](https://arcpunks.xyz/) - [ArcPunks — Mint · Portfolio · Marketplace](https://arc-punks.xyz/) ## Questions **Is ArcPunks affiliated with Circle or the Arc network itself?** No. arcpunks.xyz states outright it is "not affiliated with Arc L1." Neither domain appears in Circle's own Alliance Directory or ecosystem materials as of 2 Sep 2026. **Which of the two ArcPunks sites is the real one?** Not verifiable. Both are live, both use the ArcPunks name, and Built on Arc found no statement from either clarifying its relationship to the other. **Can I check the ArcPunks contract on-chain right now?** No. Arc mainnet launches 16 September 2026; no official mainnet explorer URL was published as of 2 Sep 2026, so there is nothing to check yet regardless of which domain you're looking at. **Is a named mint date on launch day itself a red or green flag?** Neither on its own. It's common practice among chain-native NFT projects and carries no independent evidentiary weight without a named team, contract, or audit to go with it. **Does ArcPunks have any documentation or GitHub repository?** None was found on either domain as of 2 Sep 2026. **Where can I read general guidance on vetting new Arc projects?** See /guides/how-to-read-an-arc-project-entry.