Stripe is taking a major leap into the regulated crypto space. Bridge, Stripe’s stablecoin infrastructure arm, has applied for a national bank trust charter with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
The move aims to bring federal oversight to its growing stablecoin business, paving the way to tokenize trillions in assets.
Co-founder Zach Abrams shared on X that the federal charter would give Bridge the regulatory infrastructure needed to make stablecoins a core building block of finance. The filing follows the GENIUS Act, which established the first federal framework for stablecoins in the U.S. this summer.
Why This Matters
If approved, Bridge could provide regulated issuance, custody, and management services for stablecoins, all under direct OCC supervision. The company would join the ranks of Circle, Paxos, and Ripple, while Anchorage Digital remains the only crypto-native firm with a federal banking charter, approved back in 2021.
Stablecoins, which are digital tokens tied to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar, now represent a $300 billion market. They are increasingly being used for cross-border payments and digital finance infrastructure, fueled by clearer U.S. regulations.
Bridge’s Role in the Crypto Ecosystem
Stripe acquired Bridge last year for $1.1 billion, making it central to the company’s blockchain strategy. Bridge powers Open Issuance, Stripe’s platform for launching custom stablecoins. Major projects like Phantom’s CASH, MetaMask’s mUSD, and Hyperliquid’s USDH already rely on Bridge to issue their tokens.
Stripe is also integrating stablecoins into real-world payments:
- Partnering with Coinbase and Shopify to enable merchant acceptance of USDC.
- Planning a layer-1 blockchain called Tempo optimized for stablecoin payments.
- Rolling out subscription payments using stablecoins, per Bloomberg reports.
The Big Picture
This federal charter application signals Stripe’s ambition to become a fully regulated financial institution in the digital asset space, combining the stability of traditional banking with the innovation of blockchain technology.
For businesses and developers, it means more reliable, compliant, and scalable stablecoin infrastructure, potentially unlocking new ways to transact, tokenize assets, and operate globally.
