In 2025 and 2026, US federal agencies implemented a major regulatory reset allowing banks to engage with crypto assets like XRP, HBAR, XDC, and XLM. This includes issuing federal trust bank charters to crypto firms, passing the Genius Act for stablecoins, and setting a July 18, 2026 deadline for final rules. These changes open doors for institutional adoption and banking integration of these tokens, though execution remains key.
If you hold HBAR, XRP, XDC, or XLM, the US banking system just changed underneath you. Over the last 14 months, three federal agencies coordinated the biggest regulatory reset in the history of financial assets, quietly removing barriers that prevented banks from engaging with these crypto networks at scale. With a hard deadline approaching in July 2026, this shift is set to reshape how these tokens interact with the traditional banking system.
In 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the agency that grants federal bank licenses, issued federal trust bank charters to five crypto companies on the same day: Circle, Ripple, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos. These licenses allow these companies to hold and manage assets on behalf of customers, similar to how JPMorgan or Bank of New York Mellon operate.
Following this, Morgan Stanley filed for a similar license, Crypto.com was approved, and Stripe's stablecoin company also received approval. By March 2026, 11 companies had filed for or received federal crypto bank licenses within 83 days. This rapid adoption by both traditional finance giants and crypto firms signals a fundamental change in the regulatory landscape.
Before this reset, US banks were effectively locked out of crypto. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) required banks to get permission before engaging with digital assets. The Federal Reserve treated crypto activities as largely forbidden, and the OCC had tightened regulations, discouraging banks from involvement. Banks ran pilots with Ripple, Hedera, and Stellar but shelved these projects due to regulatory uncertainty.
In 2025, the FDIC dropped permission requirements, Congress passed the Genius Act—the first federal stablecoin law—setting clear rules for dollar-backed stablecoins, and the Federal Reserve abandoned its anti-crypto stance. The OCC began issuing bank licenses to crypto companies, and a July 18, 2026 deadline was set for finalizing all related rules.
The Genius Act establishes clear guidelines for stablecoin issuance, reserve management, and bank involvement. It is comparable to the early 2000s when the government created rules for online banking, providing clarity that encouraged banks to adopt new technologies. This act is the regulatory foundation for stablecoins to operate safely and compliantly within the US banking system.
Ripple was among the first to receive a federal bank license, establishing Ripple National Trust Bank. This bank will manage reserves behind Ripple's stablecoin RLUSD under federal and New York state oversight. The OCC's new rule effective April 1, 2026, allows banks to handle digital assets, making Ripple's license operationally significant.
For XRP, this means institutions now have a federally regulated entity to work with when using Ripple's payment network, where XRP acts as a bridge currency. This regulatory backing changes the conversation for banks and asset managers, potentially increasing institutional adoption. RLUSD has already surpassed a billion dollars in market cap with over 300 financial institutions partnered through RippleNet.
Hedera does not have its own bank license but boasts a strong institutional footprint. Major institutions like Lloyds Banking Group have tokenized UK government bonds on Hedera's blockchain, and stablecoins USDC and USDT operate on the network. The Hedera Governing Council includes Fortune 500 companies such as Google, IBM, Boeing, and Deutsche Telekom.
Pilots by Shinhan Bank and Standard Bank using stablecoins for cross-border payments have been conducted on Hedera. A spot HBAR ETF launched on Nasdaq in late 2025. The regulatory reset allows these institutions to scale their projects into the US banking system, enabling activities like collateral management and stablecoin payments.
XDC is focused on trade finance, digitizing letters of credit, shipping invoices, and supply chain financing—areas traditionally reliant on slow, paper-based processes. The global trade finance gap is approximately 2.5 trillion dollars, nearly the GDP of France.
XDC's network speaks the data language banks use for international payments, making it well-suited for digitizing trade finance. The regulatory reset enables US banks to pursue these activities without regulatory concerns, although trade finance adoption tends to be slower.
Stellar's native token XLM supports stablecoin activity, with USDC and PayPal's PYUSD running natively on Stellar. Visa has integrated Stellar for stablecoin payments, and Franklin Templeton launched the first US-registered money market fund on a public blockchain using Stellar.
MoneyGram uses Stellar at over 30,000 locations globally for cash-to-crypto conversions. The Genius Act is crucial for Stellar as it defines which stablecoins can operate in the US and under what conditions. Stellar's network, with low fees and fast processing, is positioned to benefit significantly.
Regulatory clarity does not guarantee immediate price increases. The agencies have not endorsed specific tokens but have allowed banks to engage in activities these networks support. Execution remains critical:
The macro environment is the strongest it has been in years, akin to receiving a building permit before construction begins. The regulatory door is open; now it is up to these projects and banks to walk through it.
The coordinated regulatory reset across US federal agencies over the past 14 months has fundamentally changed the landscape for XRP, HBAR, XDC, and XLM. With a July 18, 2026 deadline for final rules, the framework for banks to engage with these crypto assets is now in place. While execution and adoption remain to be seen, the era of regulatory uncertainty is ending, opening new possibilities for institutional integration and growth.
Stay informed on these developments as they unfold to understand how these changes will impact the crypto market and your investments.
