Ripple has received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish 'Ripple National Trust Bank.' With this, Ripple has laid the groundwork to support the stablecoin RLUSD and provide digital asset custody services under federal government supervision.

According to cryptocurrency media outlet CoinGape on the 27th (local time), the approval came ahead of 'Ripple Swell 2026,' to be held in New York. Ripple has been expanding its financial services business targeting institutional clients.

■ Garlinghouse: "Opens the way to combine crypto and traditional banking regulation"

According to CoinGape, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse announced the OCC's final approval on Monday (local time). Ripple previously received conditional approval from the OCC in December 2025 (local time), and this final approval advances its plan one step further to operate a nationwide trust bank under U.S. federal government supervision.

Garlinghouse said the bank approval is expected to help support RLUSD and provide digital asset custody banking services for corporate clients. He expressed hope that the approval would open the way to combine cryptocurrency services with the traditional banking regulatory framework.

■ Similar position to Circle, BitGo, and Fidelity... The role of a trust bank

CoinGape explained that with this approval, Ripple now stands in a similar position to other blockchain companies that have pursued federally regulated trust bank businesses, such as Circle, BitGo, and Fidelity Digital Assets.

Unlike general commercial banks, nationwide trust banks focus on asset custody and trust operations rather than deposits and lending. According to CoinGape, Ripple's newly established trust bank plans to support federally supervised custody services and reserve-related operations concerning the RLUSD stablecoin. Ripple had previously stated plans to manage reserves separately and act as a collateral trustee.

This approval also ties into Ripple's partnership with Arf to expand RLUSD payment liquidity on the XRP Ledger. According to CoinGape, Arf plans to expand payment operations to the network once a lending protocol on the XRP Ledger launches. Ripple's banking license could help support services for such institutions through a regulated custody structure without altering existing partnerships.

However, according to CoinGape, Ripple has not yet announced a specific date for when the National Trust Bank will begin serving customers.

■ 24-hour corporate treasury platform and '24/7 Returns' unveiled in succession

The final bank approval follows Monday's (local time) launch of a 24-hour corporate treasury management platform. According to CoinGape, the platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to integrate cash management, payment processing, and liquidity solutions for corporate clients into one.

Along with the expanded treasury services, Ripple also unveiled a '24/7 Returns' feature. The feature allows eligible companies to earn returns on qualifying RLUSD assets they hold, focusing on enabling firms to utilize their operating funds even outside regular banking hours, such as weekends and holidays.

■ Expanding XRP Ledger use... Aviva's £22 billion fund tokenization draws attention

According to CoinGape, Ripple is building partnerships with institutions to broaden the use of the XRP Ledger through tokenized financial products and digital asset services. As a representative example, Aviva Investors launched an XRP Ledger-based tokenized share class for its £22 billion Sterling Liquidity Fund.

Ripple's new trust bank is also expected to complement these institutional businesses. However, the actual start date of banking services has not yet been disclosed.

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