Stripe's Bridge Seeks U.S. Bank Charter to Expand Stablecoin Services

Stripe's newly acquired stablecoin infrastructure company Bridge has filed for a national bank trust charter with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), marking a significant milestone in cryptocurrency regulation and mainstream adoption. Co-founder Zach Abrams announced the strategic move Wednesday, positioning Bridge to operate under federal oversight and expand its digital asset services.

If approved, Bridge would gain regulatory approval to offer comprehensive stablecoin services including issuance, custody, and reserve management—critical infrastructure components for the growing DeFi ecosystem. This development signals increasing institutional confidence in cryptocurrency markets and blockchain technology integration within traditional banking frameworks.

The charter application represents a major step toward bridging traditional finance and decentralized finance (DeFi), potentially accelerating stablecoin adoption across payment networks. Stripe's backing provides substantial credibility to the regulatory process, as the payments giant continues expanding its cryptocurrency offerings alongside Bitcoin and other digital assets.

This regulatory milestone could influence market sentiment and drive institutional adoption, as federally chartered crypto services often attract traditional financial institutions seeking compliant blockchain solutions for their payment infrastructure and treasury management needs.