Stablecoin infrastructure platform Bridge has received conditional approval for a national trust bank charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
If fully approved, the charter would allow Bridge to operate as a federally regulated national trust bank — enabling it to issue, custody, and manage stablecoins across the United States under direct federal oversight.
What the charter allows
According to Bridge, once final approval is granted, it will be able to:
- Issue stablecoins nationwide
- Provide custody services
- Manage reserves backing digital dollar products
- Offer stablecoin orchestration services
Importantly, the charter would eliminate the need for separate state-by-state money transmitter licenses, allowing operations under a unified federal framework.
Background on Bridge
Bridge was founded by former Coinbase executives Zach Abrams and Sean Yu. The company focuses on helping businesses move seamlessly between traditional fiat systems and blockchain networks.
In late 2025, Bridge was acquired by Stripe, which integrated Bridge’s regulated digital dollar infrastructure into its global payments stack.
Bridge has stated that its compliance framework aligns with the proposed U.S. stablecoin legislation known as the GENIUS Act. The company says the national trust charter will provide customers with stronger regulatory clarity and confidence to build at scale.
Broader regulatory context
Bridge joins other major crypto firms that have recently received conditional approval for national trust bank charters, including:
- Ripple
- Circle
However, the move has sparked criticism from traditional banking groups. The American Bankers Association recently urged the OCC to reconsider its approach, arguing that aspects of the GENIUS Act remain unclear and warning that crypto firms could use national trust charters to sidestep stricter oversight.
The development highlights the ongoing tension between financial innovation and regulatory caution, as stablecoin companies push deeper into federally supervised banking territory.
