Bridge Gets OCC Nod for Federal Bank Charter

The approval clears an early regulatory hurdle for the company to operate stablecoin products and services under direct federal oversight once fully approved.

Crypto News

Stablecoin platform Bridge, a Stripe subsidiary, has

conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to organize as a federally chartered national trust bank. The approval, granted on Feb. 12 according to OCC records, clears an early regulatory hurdle for the company to operate stablecoin products and services under direct federal oversight once fully approved. Bridge applied for the charter in October 2025.

Under the proposed charter, Bridge would be authorized to offer digital asset custody, issue stablecoins, and manage stablecoin reserves for business clients. "Our compliance framework already positions Bridge to be GENIUS ready," the company said, referring to the stablecoin bill enacted in July 2025, adding that the charter would give customers "the regulatory backbone they need to build with stablecoins confidently and at scale."

Stripe acquired Bridge in 2025 for $1.1 billion to expand its

payments infrastructure. The deal signaled broader ambitions for Stripe to embed programmable payment rails into its existing merchant network, with Bridge's regulated status expected to accelerate enterprise adoption.