Ripple Gets Final Approval for U.S. Trust Bank
The OCC puts Ripple’s RLUSD setup under federal oversight, with a trust bank for reserves and institutional custody. The move fits into the U.S. regulatory wave around stablecoins and digital assets.
Key Takeaways
- Ripple has received final approval from the OCC to run Ripple National Trust Bank as a federal trust bank.
- The bank will manage RLUSD reserves and offer regulated custody services for digital assets from large companies.
- That gives RLUSD extra oversight, while the stablecoin now has a market value of about $2.5 billion.
Ripple can now officially run a specialized bank under federal oversight in the United States. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency approved Ripple National Trust Bank (RNTB), CEO Brad Garlinghouse said late Monday on X. That gives one of crypto’s biggest players a traditional bank-like license, while digital assets keep moving closer to the regulated financial system.
What the Bank Can Do
Ripple applied for the bank license in July 2025. The OCC gave preliminary approval in December and has now taken the final step. According to Garlinghouse, the trust charter gives Ripple a stronger foundation for RLUSD and for the institutional products the company is building around payments, custody, and capital markets.
The new bank will manage the reserves backing RLUSD. Those reserves consist of cash and assets meant to cover the token’s value. RNTB will also act as trustee for those reserves and will be allowed to offer regulated custody services for digital assets from large companies.
RLUSD Gets Extra Oversight
RLUSD will still be issued through Ripple’s New York-regulated subsidiary Standard Custody & Trust Company. The new bank adds another layer of oversight, because both state and federal regulators will now oversee parts of the setup. Ripple also said it will keep working with the OCC, New York regulators, and other parties as the bank becomes operational.
The move fits into a broader shift in the U.S. The GENIUS Act, passed in July 2025, created a clear federal framework for stablecoins. For European crypto readers, the key point is that it shows how quickly stablecoins and custody services in the U.S. are being folded into existing banking rules instead of staying outside them.
Why This Matters for Crypto
RLUSD launched in December 2024 and now has a market value of about $2.5 billion (€2.2 billion). That makes it one of the biggest stablecoins in the world. It is used in Ripple’s payments business and as collateral on Ripple Prime. Ripple also uses XRP to support cross-border transactions, so the approval is indirectly relevant to the broader Ripple setup as well.
That broader expansion is also visible in Ripple Prime, where RLUSD can now serve as collateral in institutional trading and financing services.
