Ripple Gets Final U.S. Approval for Its National Trust Bank, a New Chapter for RLUSD and Institutional Custody

By Kevin · 2026-10-28 · News

Oct. 28 (CandyPulse) — Ripple is now, in part, a U.S. bank. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) gave final approval on Oct. 26 for Ripple National Trust Bank (RNTB), completing a process that began with conditional approval in December 2025.

Key takeaways

The OCC granted final approval for Ripple National Trust Bank on Oct. 26
RNTB will manage the reserves behind Ripple's RLUSD stablecoin and act as collateral trustee for holders
It will also offer fiduciary crypto custody to institutions
RLUSD issuance stays with Ripple's New York-regulated Standard Custody & Trust Company
The charter does not allow deposit-taking or lending

What the new bank will and won't do

Role	Ripple National Trust Bank
Manage RLUSD reserves	Yes (segregated, on a directed basis)
Collateral trustee for RLUSD holders	Yes (fiduciary capacity)
Institutional crypto custody	Yes
Issue RLUSD	No; stays with Standard Custody & Trust Company
Take deposits or make loans	No

A day after the approval, Ripple announced new RLUSD partnerships with BNY and Robinhood.

Why it matters

A federal trust charter puts RLUSD's reserves under national bank supervision, a strong trust signal for big institutions that want to use stablecoins. It also lets Ripple offer custody directly rather than through partners. Read more about RLUSD in Ripple and Privy bringing embedded wallets to XRP and RLUSD.

The catch: a legal fight

Not everyone is happy. The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) sued the OCC on Oct. 2, seeking to overturn the rules that let the agency grant charters like this one. We covered it in banks take crypto charters to court.

What's next

Watch for RNTB's launch date and the outcome of the ICBA lawsuit. More on our Stablecoins and Regulation pages.

Disclaimer: This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile and can lose value. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.