Stripe‑Owned Bridge Secures OCC Conditional Approval for National Trust Bank Charter
February 15, 2026 –
Bridge, the stablecoin platform now owned by payments giant Stripe, announced that it has received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to operate as a federally chartered national trust bank. The decision marks the latest step in the company’s effort to bring stablecoin issuance and custody under direct federal supervision.
What the approval entails
In a notice posted on Tuesday, Bridge confirmed that the OCC’s conditional grant will allow the firm to develop and offer stablecoin products, manage the underlying reserve assets, and provide custodial services for digital tokens once the full charter is awarded. The regulatory framework will place Bridge under the same oversight that governs traditional national trust banks, giving the firm a “regulatory backbone” for scaling its stablecoin services.
Timeline and background
Bridge filed its charter application in October 2025, shortly after Stripe completed a $1.1 billion acquisition of the platform. The OCC’s conditional approval was issued on February 12, 2026. The move follows a broader wave of crypto‑aligned companies seeking similar charters after the passage of the GENIUS Act (Generalized Enabling New Innovative U.S. Stablecoin Act) in July 2025, which created a federal pathway for stablecoin issuers to obtain banking charters.
The OCC has already conditionally approved several other applicants, including BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, Paxos, Circle, and Ripple. Bridge now joins this emerging cohort of digital‑asset firms poised to operate as national trust banks.
Industry response
The American Bankers Association (ABA) responded to the OCC’s recent approvals with a formal letter urging caution. The trade group argued that the regulatory expectations under the GENIUS Act remain ambiguous and that granting national trust charters could allow crypto firms to sidestep existing oversight mechanisms. The ABA called on the OCC to adopt a patient, case‑by‑case approach rather than applying traditional timelines to charter decisions.
Policy context
Congressional deliberations on a comprehensive digital‑asset market‑structure bill continue in the Senate. Lawmakers are wrestling with how to integrate stablecoins, tokenized equities, and related yield‑generation products into the broader financial system. The White House remains engaged with both the banking and crypto sectors to shape the eventual regulatory landscape.
Analysis
Bridge’s conditional charter signals growing confidence among regulators that stablecoin issuers can be safely integrated into the U.S. banking system, provided they meet stringent compliance standards. The OCC’s willingness to extend national trust charters to multiple crypto firms suggests an emerging regulatory consensus that federal oversight, rather than a patchwork of state rules, is the preferred model for stablecoin governance.
However, the ABA’s pushback underscores lingering uncertainty about the scope of the GENIUS Act and the practical implications of a national trust charter. If the OCC proceeds with full approvals without clarifying the underlying regulatory framework, it could spark further tensions between traditional banks and the fintech ecosystem.
Key takeaways
- Bridge received OCC conditional approval to become a federally chartered national trust bank, enabling stablecoin issuance, custody, and reserve management under direct federal oversight.
- The approval follows a wave of similar applications from BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, Paxos, Circle and Ripple, all seeking to operate under the GENIUS Act’s framework.
- The ABA has urged the OCC to slow charter approvals until the GENIUS Act’s rules are fully clarified, citing concerns about potential regulatory gaps.
- Congress continues to debate a comprehensive digital‑asset market‑structure bill, with stablecoin governance and yield products as focal points.
- Bridge’s charter could accelerate the mainstream adoption of stablecoins by providing institutional‑grade banking infrastructure, but its ultimate impact hinges on the final regulatory guidance from the OCC and legislative bodies.
The article reflects information available as of February 15, 2026. Readers are encouraged to verify details independently.
Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/bridge-stripe-occ-approval-national-trust-bank?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound
