Circle Internet Group, Inc., one of the world’s leading internet financial platform companies, announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish First National Digital Currency Bank, N.A., a national trust bank. The bank will operate under the name Circle National Trust.

OCC approval of a national trust bank charter represents a major U.S. regulatory milestone and strengthens the infrastructure of USDC¹ – the world’s largest regulated stablecoin – through federally-regulated custody, with reserve management planned as a future capability. It places Circle National Trust under direct federal oversight by the OCC, the primary regulator for national banks and national trust banks.

As a federally regulated national trust bank, Circle National Trust aligns digital asset infrastructure with the longstanding role of national trust banks in safeguarding client assets under strict fiduciary standards. This brings USDC infrastructure into a proven federal banking framework designed to ensure safety, soundness, and transparency.

Upon opening, Circle National Trust will offer fiduciary digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliates. As per its business plan, which was approved by the OCC, “depending on demand, FNDCB may eventually offer its digital asset custody service to a limited number of institutional customers directly, focusing on banks and other financial institutions, such as regulated derivatives organizations.” The charter is also designed to enable future capabilities, including management of the USDC Reserve, which would bring those operations under federal regulatory oversight and further enhance the safety, transparency, and trust of USDC.

“OCC approval to establish Circle National Trust marks a defining step in bringing blockchain technology and digital assets into the core of the U.S. financial system,” said Jeremy Allaire, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Circle. “Federal oversight of our trust bank sets a new standard for transparency, governance, and scale for Circle’s infrastructure and unlocks a new phase of adoption, where leading financial institutions can build on public blockchains with clarity and confidence.”

As an OCC-chartered national trust bank, Circle National Trust advances USDC’s role as trusted, federally regulated digital dollar infrastructure for payments, settlement, and capital markets activity, supporting the role of the U.S. dollar in an increasingly digital global economy.

Circle submitted its application to the OCC on June 30, 2025 and received a conditional approval in December, 2025, building on its long-standing commitment to regulatory engagement.

In 2015, Circle became the first company to receive a BitLicense from the New York Department of Financial Services and remains engaged with the leading U.S. state digital asset regulator. In 2024, Circle became the first global stablecoin issuer to comply with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework. Circle also holds licenses in the UK, Singapore, and Bermuda, and has met Canadian Value-Referenced Crypto Asset requirements.

In 2025, Circle secured a license from Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority.

Source: Circle