Stripe’s Bridge Applies for OCC Trust Charter to Regulate Stablecoins

Payments giant Stripe’s stablecoin subsidiary, Bridge, has taken a decisive step toward regulatory compliance by applying for a national trust bank charter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The MOVE solidifies Bridge’s ambition to anchor its stablecoin operations—particularly its Open Issuance platform—within a federally supervised framework.

Zach Abrams, Bridge’s CEO, framed the application as foundational for tokenizing trillions in assets. "Stablecoins will be a core, regulated financial building block," he declared. The proposed trust bank WOULD handle custody, issuance, and reserve management, aligning with the GENIUS Act’s vision for a unified federal approach to digital assets.

Bridge’s "Stablecoin-as-a-Service" model allows businesses to mint tokens with customizable reserve structures. This infrastructure could accelerate institutional adoption, though the OCC’s approval remains pending alongside parallel applications with New York regulators.