Nov 9, 2026, 5:00 a.m. EST
2 min read
Summary
- Coinbase is the newest digital asset enterprise to secure full national trust bank status under a U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency charter, the organization reported.
- Ripple likewise attained this classification, and numerous other companies are securing provisional trust charters as the OCC enforces the GENIUS Act governing how such trusts may participate in stablecoin issuance.
The premier U.S. cryptocurrency platform, Coinbase (COIN), will presently operate a fully licensed trust bank, based on the firm, which noted that the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency upgraded its prior conditional standing.
The Coinbase National Trust had previously obtained provisional approval in April, granting the corporation permission to deliver federally supervised custody and payment operations, although not functioning as a traditional full-service depository bank accepting consumer savings or providing loans. Following several months of establishing compliance frameworks, recruiting essential staff, and enduring regulatory examinations, Coinbase stated that the bureau approved its complete charter.
Coinbase stood among several businesses within the blockchain sector attempting federal trust-bank status—a movement that gained momentum after the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act established a framework for federal trusts to release compliant stablecoins. The OCC has welcomed cryptocurrency enterprises and stablecoins during the presidency of Donald Trump, which includes awarding a conditional trust designation to the World Liberty Financial enterprise associated with his family.
During the previous month, the OCC additionally awarded Ripple an absolute trust charter.
In an official remark, Coinbase Vice Chairman Ryan VanGrack noted, “We’ve spent years asking for clear rules and rigorous oversight, and today’s approval of our national trust charter puts more of our business behind that commitment. The OCC’s approval is another major step in integrating digital assets into the core infrastructure of the American financial system.”
The integration of crypto-native corporations into the American banking architecture arrives after a multi-year period where federal regulators across banking, securities, and derivatives opposed permitting such participation and frequently approached these enterprises with supervisory hostility.
Concurrently, the Independent Community Bankers of America has filed a lawsuit against the OCC regarding what it alleges represents an abuse of power in issuing trust charters to blockchain companies.
Originally published at https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/11/09/coinbase-gets-full-u-s-trust-charter-from-federal-banking-regulator.
