Ripple gets final approval for a US national trust bank
On 26 October the US bank regulator OCC gave Ripple final approval for Ripple National Trust Bank, which will hold the reserves behind the RLUSD stablecoin and keep clients' digital assets.
Event: October 26, 2026
Primary source: October 26, 2026
Published here: October 27, 2026 at 01:00 AM UTC
Read: 2 min
What happened
On 26 October Ripple said the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) granted final approval to charter Ripple National Trust Bank. Conditional approval came in December 2025. The bank will manage the reserves behind the RLUSD stablecoin, act as their trustee for holders, and offer digital asset custody.
Why it matters to you
The stablecoin now rests on federal supervision, not only on a New York state regulator. For big companies that is a strong trust signal. Before Ripple, Circle, the issuer of USDC, got final OCC approval in July.
What to check and watch
When the bank actually opens: Ripple gave no date. And who is next: Coinbase, Crypto.com and Stripe-owned Bridge still hold only conditional approvals.
What happened. On 26 October Ripple said in a press release that the OCC, the US federal bank regulator, gave final approval to charter Ripple National Trust Bank (RNTB). The bank got conditional approval in December 2025 and has been organising since then.
What the bank will do. Per Ripple, RNTB may manage the segregated reserves backing Ripple USD (RLUSD), act as collateral trustee of those reserves for RLUSD holders, and provide digital asset custody. RLUSD will still be issued by Standard Custody & Trust Company, Ripple's trust company supervised by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).
What a national trust bank is. It is a federally chartered bank that holds and manages assets for clients. According to the OCC, as cited by Cointelegraph, most such banks do not take deposits, do not make loans and carry no FDIC deposit insurance. So it is not a regular bank for your salary.
RLUSD in numbers. Per Ripple, RLUSD launched in December 2024 and has a market cap of $2.5 billion. BNY is the primary reserve custodian. Reserves are US dollar deposits, US government securities and other cash equivalents, and Ripple publishes monthly third-party attestations.
Who else. Circle got final OCC approval in July. Coinbase got conditional approval in April, Crypto.com and Bridge in February. Ripple says it will keep working with the OCC and NYDFS as the US puts the GENIUS Act stablecoin rules in place.
Keep in mind. A charter is about infrastructure, not token prices. This is not advice to buy or sell anything.
Confirmed facts
- On 26 October Ripple announced that the OCC granted final approval to charter Ripple National Trust Bank (RNTB).[1][2]
- The bank received conditional OCC approval in December 2025.[1][2]
- RNTB may manage RLUSD reserves, act as collateral trustee for holders and provide digital asset custody.[1]
- RLUSD will still be issued by Standard Custody & Trust Company, supervised by NYDFS.[1][2]
- RLUSD has a $2.5 billion market cap, launched in December 2024, and BNY is its primary reserve custodian.[1]
- Circle got final OCC approval in July; Coinbase has had conditional approval since April, Crypto.com and Bridge since February.[2]
- According to the OCC, most national trust banks take no deposits, make no loans and have no FDIC insurance.[2]
Implications
- ConfirmedRLUSD reserves will be under federal OCC supervision on top of New York state oversight.
- Our readingA stablecoin with a federal trust bank may pass banks' and companies' internal checks more easily.
- Our readingTwo large issuers approved in a row suggests the OCC is open to crypto firms.
Still unknown
- When RNTB opens for business.
- Whether RLUSD issuance will later move from the New York company to the federal bank.
- When Coinbase, Crypto.com and Bridge get final decisions.
Who it affects
United States, Worldwide. Anyone who uses stablecoins or follows Ripple and XRP, in any country
Sources
- Ripple (Business Wire): Ripple Receives Final OCC Approval to Establish National Trust Bank October 26, 2026 · official
- Cointelegraph: Ripple wins final US approval for national trust bank October 27, 2026 · media
Cover: Freekonomist graphic, a symbolic image, not a photo of the event. This is a news explainer, not financial advice.
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