Ripple Secures Final OCC Approval for National Trust Bank Charter

Ripple is taking another major step toward expanding its presence in global finance. The payments giant has reportedly secured final approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Ripple National Trust Bank. The approval adds federal oversight to the company’s $RLUSD stablecoin and supports its plans to offer custody services to institutional clients.

Ripple National Trust Bank gets final OCC approval

Brad Garlinghouse, the CEO of Ripple, took to X earlier today to reveal the company’s key milestone. The OCC has granted final approval for the crypto platform’s application to establish a national trust bank. The approval supports the growth of $RLUSD, with the bank allowed to offer digital asset custody services to institutional clients.

Notably, the move follows the OCC’s conditional approval of Ripple National Trust Bank (RNTB) in December 2025. Now, the approval process is complete. This allows the company to move forward with its plans to operate under federal oversight.

Federal supervision for $RLUSD infrastructure

It is important to note that the latest development will not change the company responsible for issuing the $RLUSD stablecoin. As per reports, Standard Custody & Trust Company, regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), will continue to serve as the issuer of the token.

The bank will manage the separate reserves backing $RLUSD. It will also act as a trustee for these reserves on behalf of stablecoin holders and provide custody services for digital assets. The move comes as the $RLUSD stablecoin continues to grow. Launched in December 2024, $RLUSD has reached a market cap of $2.5 billion.

At the same time, the approval brings a major change in the company’s regulatory framework. With this move, the bank will come under federal OCC supervision. This gives Ripple an additional layer of regulatory oversight.

Interestingly, Ripple will continue working with the US regulators, including the OCC and NYDFS, as the national trust bank prepares to begin operations. The company plans to operate within the evolving US crypto regulatory framework, especially the GENIUS Act for stablecoins.

Can crypto companies and banks work together?

According to CEO Brad Garlinghouse, the OCC approval is part of the company’s efforts to bring crypto businesses and banks together. He believes that both industries could work in collaboration. He added,

“For years, we’ve said crypto and banks work better together. Final approval for Ripple National Trust Bank is what that looks like in practice. We’ve spent over a decade building regulated financial infrastructure that institutions can actually use at scale. A national trust charter gives us an even stronger foundation for $RLUSD and the institutional products we’re building across payments, custody and capital markets.”

After years of efforts, Ripple can now expand its regulated services and help businesses manage digital assets. This deserves particular attention as more institutions are exploring blockchain-based payment systems, crypto custody, and stablecoins.