OCC Gives Ripple Conditional Approval to Form National Trust Bank

By Matt Brienen

Published: 2025-12-12T19:43:54+00:00

Ripple has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a federally chartered national trust bank — a major milestone that brings the company closer to integrating blockchain technology directly into the U.S. banking framework. The entity, to be known as Ripple National Trust Bank, will operate under federal oversight and focus on regulated custody, settlement, and trust services involving digital assets.

The OCC’s conditional approval means Ripple has met the preliminary requirements to begin forming the trust bank but must still complete additional steps before receiving full authorization. Once finalized, the charter will allow Ripple to engage in fiduciary and custody operations — handling and safeguarding digital assets for clients — without the need for a state-level trust license. This structure is designed to ensure compliance with federal banking laws while enabling innovation in digital asset services.

Ripple’s leadership has described the approval as a pivotal step in strengthening the company’s regulatory foundation, particularly as it expands offerings around RLUSD, its U.S. dollar–backed stablecoin. The trust charter would also enhance Ripple’s credibility among institutional clients, allowing it to offer compliant custody and settlement infrastructure for tokenized assets and cross-border payments.

The OCC’s move fits into a broader pattern of federal regulators granting similar preliminary charters to select digital asset firms, signaling growing openness to blockchain-driven banking models. For Ripple, this marks a concrete advancement in its long-term strategy to operate at the intersection of crypto and traditional finance — providing secure, regulated pathways for digital asset integration within the U.S. financial system.