Ripple Gets Final US Approval for National Trust Bank

What happened

Ripple has received final approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Ripple National Trust Bank (RNTB) [1] [2]. Ripple's announcement is dated 26 October 2026 and datelined San Francisco. It says the OCC announced the decision [1]. Bloomberg's story, dated 27 October, carries the headline "Ripple Gets Final US Approval for National Trust Bank" [3].

Cointelegraph reports that Ripple announced the approval on Monday, 26 October [2]. The wording of the OCC's decision, as quoted here, comes from Ripple's own announcement [1].

The approval covers three activities. RNTB may manage the segregated reserves that support Ripple USD (RLUSD). It may act as collateral trustee for those reserves, for the benefit of RLUSD holders. And it may provide fiduciary digital asset custody services [1].

The token keeps its current issuer. Standard Custody & Trust Company will continue to issue RLUSD [1], and that company is regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services [2]. The announcement gives the bank no role in issuing the token.

Ripple's chief executive, Brad Garlinghouse, framed the decision as proof that crypto and banks work better together. "For years, we've said crypto and banks work better together," the company's statement says, adding that final approval "is what that looks like in practice" [1].

Who is involved

Three parties appear in the reporting. Ripple announced the decision, and the bank carries its name [1]. The OCC is the federal regulator that granted final approval [1]. Standard Custody & Trust Company is the company that issues RLUSD, and it operates under New York state oversight [2].

Background and limits

The final decision followed conditional approval from the OCC in December 2025 [1] [2]. Ripple's announcement lists the activities above as approved for RNTB [1].

The limits matter. Citing the OCC, Cointelegraph reports that most national trust banks do not accept deposits or make loans, and do not carry Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance [2]. Ripple's announcement describes what the bank may do but does not mention any restriction on it [1]. The OCC's general rule for this charter type is the best guide available, and the sources do not say whether RNTB differs from it.

What comes next

The sources do not say when RNTB will open, or when it will start managing RLUSD reserves under the new charter [1] [2]. The announcement also gives no figures for the bank's capital, ownership or leadership [1].

Beyond the approval itself, neither report sets out a timetable for the bank [1] [2].

Two points are worth watching. The first is whether Ripple names an opening date. The second is how the reserves behind RLUSD will be handled once the bank is operating. Both questions were still open on 27 October 2026.