OCC announces GENIUS Act final rule 21 October 2026US Reporter: Matthew Challis
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The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has announced a final rule designed to implement the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act.
The rule establishes the requirements for permitted and foreign payment stablecoin issuers and certain custody activities conducted by OCC-supervised entities.
The OCC says this implementation addresses all of the regulations the authority is required to promulgate under the GENIUS Act, aside from those related to the Bank Secrecy Act, anti-money laundering, and Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions, which are set to be addressed with the Department of the Treasury in a separate rulemaking.
The agency will continue to coordinate with other entities responsible for implementing aspects of the GENIUS Act, and plans to announce when it will begin both accepting and processing applications and waiver requests from prospective issuers in a forthcoming news release.
The OCC will continue to monitor the structure of the digital asset industry, and will adjust the supervisory and regulatory framework for payment stablecoin issuers where it deems appropriate.
Speaking on the rule, US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent says: “The GENIUS Act marks a watershed moment in American finance, further cementing the United States as the crypto capital of the world.
“The OCC’s final rule carries that landmark legislation forward, providing a clear, practical foundation for private-sector innovation, competition, and American leadership in digital assets.”
Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould adds: “We are providing a clear, practical framework for payment stablecoin innovation, with strong standards for reserve backing, redemption, and risk management.”
The final rule and GENIUS Act are set to take effect on 18 January 2027.
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