Anchorage Digital Disrupts Crypto: First U.S.-Compliant Stablecoin Platform Under GENIUS Act

Banking's boring cousin just got a blockchain makeover. Anchorage Digital—the institutional crypto custodian that won the OCC's first federal crypto bank charter—is now letting clients mint stablecoins with regulatory armor.

No more regulatory limbo

The platform bakes in compliance with the freshly minted GENIUS Act, sidestepping the usual 'are we securities?' debates that tie competitors in knots. Want to issue a dollar-pegged token? Now you can—without the SEC knocking.

Wall Street meets DeFi

Institutions get the holy trinity: real-time settlements, programmable money, and something their compliance teams won't reject on sight. (Take that, Tether.)

The fine print

Reserves? Audited. AML? Automated. Liquidity? 'Bank-grade'—whatever that means when 90% of stablecoin volume still happens offshore. But hey—progress beats perfection.

• Anchorage launches first GENIUS Act-compliant stablecoin platform with Ethena’s USDtb.
• USDtb now issued onshore under federal oversight, boosting institutional trust and access.
• Anchorage platform offers legal, turnkey stablecoin issuance for U.S. financial institutions.

Anchorage Digital, a federally chartered crypto bank, has introduced a stablecoin issuance platform that complies with the recently enacted GENIUS Act. The platform’s first partner is Ethena Labs, whose stablecoin USDtb will now be issued onshore in the United States under federal regulatory oversight. This development marks the first instance of a stablecoin being established with a clear regulatory framework aligned with the GENIUS Act, providing U.S. institutions direct access to a federally regulated digital dollar.

GENIUS Act effects at work.

Plus @Anchorage is launching a stablecoin issuance platform. https://t.co/reovZUsavO

Previously, Ethena’s USDtb stablecoin was available only outside the United States. Through the partnership with Anchorage Digital, USDtb will be issued domestically via Anchorage’s federally chartered banking infrastructure. This positions USDtb as the first stablecoin designed from launch to meet all GENIUS Act compliance requirements.

Anchorage Digital’s issuance platform enables institutions to create and distribute stablecoins legally within the U.S. financial system. The platform functions as a turnkey solution, facilitating plug-and-play stablecoin issuance that integrates seamlessly with existing financial infrastructure.

By operating under Anchorage Digital Bank, USDtb is intended to meet regulatory standards from the outset, offering a programmable digital dollar accessible to institutional users without reliance on offshore entities.

Regulatory Clarity Provided by the GENIUS Act

The GENIUS Act, signed into law to regulate stablecoin operations in the U.S., aims to establish clearer rules for digital dollar issuance and distribution. Anchorage Digital’s CEO Nathan McCauley stated that the legislation removes ambiguity surrounding regulatory requirements. He emphasized that federally regulated institutions like Anchorage Digital Bank can now fully engage in stablecoin activities with clear compliance guidelines.

This regulatory clarity enables Anchorage Digital to support Ethena Labs in bringing USDtb to the U.S. market. The partnership aligns with federal efforts to create transparent, regulated frameworks for digital assets, ensuring that stablecoins issued through this platform adhere to the legal standards set forth by the GENIUS Act.

Expanding Institutional Access to Compliant Stablecoins

Ethena CEO Guy Young noted that migrating USDtb issuance into the United States through Anchorage’s platform changes the accessibility and trust framework for institutional users. The GENIUS Act compliance is expected to empower partners and token holders to expand the use of USDtb across various products and platforms within the regulated U.S. financial environment.

Anchorage Digital further revealed that its platform is future-proof to host other institutions that WOULD also want to use the available legal channels to issue stablecoins under U.S law. USDtb is the initial token issued under this framework and is an example of an early project federally compliant digital dollars available to institutional adoption.