Bridge Secures Conditional OCC Approval for National Trust Bank Charter

Highlights:

• Bridge received conditional approval from the OCC after applying for the license.
• The license will give the company powers to manage its stablecoin reserves under the oversight of the authority.
• Banking groups have urged regulators to slow approvals as lawmakers review digital asset framework rules.

Stablecoin orchestration platform Bridge has received a conditional license to become a federally chartered national trust bank from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Stripe-owned stablecoin platform disclosed the decision in a Tuesday notice. The approval allows Bridge to move forward in the chartering process under direct OCC supervision. Regulators must still grant final authorization before the company can begin operating as a national trust bank.

https://TWITTER.com/Stablecoin/status/2023816777885708419?s=20

The stablecoin platform filed its application in October last year. The agency conditionally approved it on Feb. 12. In case the regulators complete the charter, the company would be governed by one federal entity instead of multiple state regimes.

Stripe acquired Bridge last year in a $1.1 billion transaction. Stripe said the acquisition would support stablecoin-based payment infrastructure. The conditional approval connects that infrastructure to federal banking oversight.

Bridge addressed the development in its statement. The company said, “Our compliance framework already positions Bridge to be GENIUS 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.”

What the National Trust Bank Charter Means for Bridge’s Stablecoin Expansion

Congress enacted the GENIUS Act in July last year. The law established a federal structure for stablecoin supervision. Bridge said its compliance controls align with the legislation. The charter would bring the company’s stablecoin issuance and reserve management under the oversight of the OCC.

The OCC would also supervise Bridge’s digital asset custody operations. Federal examiners would review reporting, controls, and reserve practices. Enterprises and financial institutions often require federal supervision before integrating digital asset services.

Several crypto firms have pursued similar charters in the past. The OCC has already conditionally approved BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos to convert state trust entities. The agency also granted conditional approval to Circle and Ripple for the national trust bank charters. Anchorage Digital received a national trust charter in 2021. It remains the only crypto-focused firm that completed the full process.

Regulatory Scrutiny Grows as Bridge Awaits Final Authorization

The move to grant the charters has worried some banking associations. The American Bankers Association has urged the agency to slow the approval process as regulators clarify the obligations under the GENIUS Act. The ABA argued that national trust charters require careful review. The group said regulators should fully assess each applicant’s responsibilities before granting the final approval.

BANKS WARN ON CRYPTO GETTING FED ACCESS

The banking lobby says conditional charters tied to unfinished bills like the GENIUS Act could grant crypto firms Fed access before rules are fully defined.

"Once these firms get Fed access and national licensing, we will be talking… pic.twitter.com/vfnplLAPiq

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) February 12, 2026

Meanwhile, Senate committees are reviewing the draft language used in the digital asset market structure bill. Lawmakers are discussing how stablecoin oversight should interact with the existing securities and banking laws.

White House officials have met with banking and crypto representatives to discuss stablecoin yield policy. Although the decisions have not yielded a solution yet, many believe the bill will pass by the end of Q1 this year. The OCC has not announced a timeline for Bridge’s final authorization.