Business
February 18, 2026
Bridge, the stablecoin infrastructure powerhouse recently acquired by Stripe, has secured conditional approval to operate as a national trust bank, effectively advancing its OCC stablecoin charter ambitions. This is a critical stage that signals federal acceptance of stablecoins and could be a blueprint for how digital assets will integrate with traditional banking.
Bridge has received OCC conditional approval to organize a federally chartered national trust bank. This will enable us to operate stablecoin products and services under direct federal oversight, including:
— Bridge (@Stablecoin) February 17, 2026
– Custody
– Orchestration
– Issuance
– Reserves management
Stablecoins…
Bridge, following the approval, stated that:
“Institutions need regulatory clarity, operational resilience, and scalable systems to build with confidence. A national trust bank establishes that foundation.“
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How Bridge’s OCC Stablecoin Charter Shapes Stripe and GENIUS Act Rules
The OCC stablecoin charter is unlike that of traditional commercial banks. This specialized charter allows Bridge to bypass the fragmented money transmitter licenses in favour of unified federal oversight. Bridge would have the authority to issue stablecoins, manage reserves and hold digital assets. This is in line with the GENIUS act as stablecoin regulation in the US continues to evolve under the framework.
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According to Bridge, their compliance framework is by design to be GENIUS-ready. In a press release, they stated:
“Our compliance framework already positions Bridge to be GENIUS [Act] ready. Now achieving a national trust bank charter will provide our customers the regulatory backbone they need to build with stablecoins confidently and at scale.”
Bridge’s approval has provided regulatory clarity that could unlock broader institutional adoption and make stablecoins more attractive for corporate treasury use, merchant payments, and global settlements. This further validates Stripe’s $1.1 billion bet on the stablecoin market.
Stablecoins Move Into the Banking Core
A fully approved national trust bank structure would effectively place Bridge among the regulated institutions, building the backbone of the next digital payments era. For Stripe, stablecoin integration and ownership of a federally chartered bank via Bridge means it can position itself as the central bank.
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Bridge now joins an elite cohort including Circle, Ripple, and Paxos in the race to redefine the US payment system.
