Stripe's Bridge Crypto Firm Gains Key US Bank Charter Approval for Stablecoin Operations

In a significant regulatory milestone, Bridge, the stablecoin-focused subsidiary of payments giant Stripe, has secured preliminary approval for a national bank trust charter from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). This initial approval positions Bridge to operate as a federally regulated bank, specifically to issue and manage digital assets, including U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins. The move is seen as a major step towards legitimizing stablecoins within the traditional financial framework, potentially enabling more secure and compliant digital dollar transactions. Analysts view this development as a bullish signal for the crypto infrastructure sector, highlighting growing institutional acceptance and clearer regulatory pathways for blockchain-based payment solutions.