The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has confirmed that community banks can now partner with stablecoin issuers without restrictions.
The move, announced in an X post this week, is seen as a way to bring digital assets closer to everyday banking.
By removing earlier requirements for banks to secure written non-objection letters, the OCC has lowered barriers for smaller institutions to work directly with stablecoin companies.
Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould said the policy is aimed at helping banks innovate and offer better payment services. “Community banks play a crucial role in providing essential financial services.
Stablecoins are one way for these institutions to better serve their communities’ payment needs,” Gould noted. The OCC stressed that while risk controls remain important, stablecoins are now becoming part of the regular banking system.
The policy builds on earlier steps from the regulator, including Interpretive Letter 1183, which made it clear that banks could provide crypto custody, hold reserves for stablecoins, and use blockchain for payment verification.
The timing also comes as the U.S. Treasury’s GENIUS Act is open for public comment, setting out clearer rules for stablecoins and seeking wider use in banking.
For Ripple, this development could not have come at a better time. The company has been pushing its RLUSD stablecoin into traditional finance and had applied for a U.S. banking license. With the OCC’s new stance, Ripple can now partner with community banks before its license is approved.
The company also strengthened its reach through the $200 million purchase of Rail, a Toronto-based stablecoin platform that handles more than 10% of global business-to-business stablecoin transactions.
RLUSD has quickly grown, with circulation passing $500 million and boosted by $150 million in new issues. Ripple’s trust license in New York, along with backing from cash and short-term U.S. Treasuries, has further supported confidence.
As one commentator put it, Ripple’s moves are “infrastructure chess—a direct move into the plumbing of the new banking system.”
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