Circle wins final approval for US Trust Bank launch, share rise

Circle, a financial technology company, has received the last required regulatory approval needed to move forward with establishing its own US trust bank.

It comes as the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has granted final regulatory approval to Circle Internet Group to establish a national trust bank, operating under the name Circle National Trust.

Following the announcement, the fin-tech shares surged between 7% and 11% in pre-market trading, reflecting strong investor enthusiasm for the milestone.

As reported by Reuters, approval moves Circle's digital asset operations away from a fragmented state-by-state regulatory framework and places it under direct, unified federal oversight by the OCC.

"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," Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said in a statement.

The bank will initially provide fiduciary digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliates. Per its approved business plan, it may eventually expand to offer custody services to institutional clients such as banks and regulated derivatives organizations and transition the management of the massive USDC Reserve under federal supervision.

This final charter follows a conditional approval granted in late 2025. It aligns with broader legislative shifts, including the passage of the federal stablecoin framework "the Genius Act", which expanded the OCC's reach to non-bank payment stablecoin issuers.

While the stock enjoyed a double-digit pre-market pop on the news, Circle faces a shifting landscape.

The company has seen heightened competition recently from newer market entrants, including the heavily backed "Open USD" initiative, making this federal banking milestone a critical competitive defense for its infrastructure."