Coincu, February 18, 2026, Bridge wins conditional OCC nod to form national trust bank
Risks, conditions, and critiques from ICBA, BPI, and NCRC
What conditions and next steps remain before final OCC approval?
Conditional approval to organize precedes any authority to commence business. Final approval will depend on Bridge satisfying OCC?set conditions on governance, risk, compliance, capital, and operational readiness under ongoing federal supervision.
ICBA, BPI, and NCRC concerns about charter scope and consumer protection
According to the Independent Community Bankers of America, issuing stablecoins that resemble demand deposits without FDIC insurance exceeds the historical scope of national trust charters and risks regulatory arbitrage.
According to the Bank Policy Institute, non?bank firms pursuing trust charters could blur the lines of the national charter unless they shoulder comparable responsibilities, raising transparency and systemic?risk concerns.
