Ripple has secured final approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Ripple National Trust Bank (RNTB), giving the company a federally supervised institution for managing the reserves of its RLUSD stablecoin and providing digital asset custody services.

The 26 decision, announced in an official press release, completes a regulatory process that began in July 2025, when Ripple applied for a national trust bank charter, and continued with conditional approval that December. Operating under OCC supervision, the bank is authorized to manage segregated RLUSD reserves, serve as collateral trustee for token holders and provide fiduciary custody to institutional clients.

Unlike a conventional commercial bank, RNTB will not accept customer deposits or issue loans. Its approved activities are limited to asset safekeeping, reserve administration and trust services.

Ripple National Trust Bank to Oversee RLUSD Reserves

The new institution will strengthen the regulatory structure supporting Ripple USD (RLUSD), which has grown approximately $2.5 billion in market capitalization since launching in December 2024. RNTB will manage the stablecoin's segregated reserves and act as collateral trustee for the benefit of RLUSD holders, but it will not become the stablecoin's issuer.

That responsibility remains with Standard Custody & Trust Company, Ripple's limited-purpose trust company regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). BNY will also continue to serve as RLUSD's primary reserve custodian, while Ripple keeps publishing monthly independent attestations covering circulating supply and reserve assets. The stablecoin is backed by U.S. dollar deposits, government securities and other cash equivalents. The arrangement layers federal oversight onto a reserve framework that spans a New York-regulated issuer entity and a traditional bank custodian.

Ripple has meanwhile been expanding RLUSD's institutional reach. A recent integration with Cross River Bank connects the stablecoin to conventional banking payment infrastructure, and RLUSD is now also used as collateral through Ripple Prime, extending its role beyond payments into institutional trading and financing.

Federal Charter Expands Ripple's Institutional Custody Business

The approval removes the final regulatory hurdle in Ripple's effort to establish a national trust bank, an initiative that began with its federal charter application in July 2025. Under RNTB's approved business plan, fiduciary digital asset custody services can begin once the bank opens, allowing Ripple to safeguard institutional cryptocurrency holdings under direct federal supervision.

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse welcomed the decision as a milestone in integrating cryptocurrency infrastructure with the regulated banking system. "For years, we've said crypto and banks work better together," he said.

The final authorization places Ripple alongside other cryptocurrency firms that have secured federal trust bank status. National trust charters have emerged as a common route for digital asset firms seeking federal supervision of custody and stablecoin operations. Circle received final OCC approval for its national trust bank in July, while companies including Coinbase, Crypto.com and Stripe-owned Bridge have received conditional approvals. Fidelity Digital Assets, Paxos and BitGo have also pursued federal trust structures as institutional demand for regulated cryptocurrency custody increases. The charter does not automatically provide Ripple with the deposit-taking, lending or other permissions associated with a full-service commercial bank.

Approval Comes Ahead of Swell 2026 and New Stablecoin Rules

Ripple's banking milestone arrives as U.S. regulators put in place a more comprehensive framework for stablecoin issuers and digital asset custodians. On October 21, the OCC finalized GENIUS Act regulations covering reserve backing, redemption obligations, custody and risk management. Those rules take effect on January 18, 2027, with the OCC maintaining supervisory authority over eligible federally regulated stablecoin businesses.

The approval also coincides with Ripple's Swell 2026 conference, taking place October 27–29 in New York City. More than 1,500 attendees are expected for discussions covering institutional payments, tokenization, stablecoins and blockchain-based capital markets.

Ripple will continue coordinating with the OCC and NYDFS as RNTB begins operations. The company has not disclosed a separate launch date for its new institutional custody services. Attention now turns to when RNTB opens for business and how the incoming federal stablecoin rules shape the operating environment for OCC-supervised digital asset institutions.