Ripple Nears Becoming National Bank as OCC Final Rule Goes Live April 1

In major news for XRP and the broader crypto industry, Ripple edges closer to becoming a national trust bank. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) landmark final rule on national trust bank activities officially takes effect on April 1.

OCC Final Rule Effective April 1, Here’s What It Means

As the OCC under President Donald Trump pushes crypto into US banking, the banking regulator issued a final rule providing clear guidelines for national trust banks to engage in digital asset activities.

The rule revises the OCC’s chartering regulation to allow regulated banks to manage non-fiduciary activities along with fiduciary activities. The regulator changed the term from “fiduciary activities” to “operations of a trust company and activities related thereto.”

The OCC’s final rule takes effect on April 1, allowing national bank charter applicants to engage in custody and safekeeping activities. This rule came after the OCC’s conditional approval of Ripple National Trust Bank and First National Digital Currency Bank. It also conditionally approved applications by BitGo, Fidelity, and Paxos.

Ripple Moves Closer to Becoming National Trust Bank

Ripple National Trust Bank’s conditional approval allows the company to operate as a federally regulated fiduciary. This further integrates crypto into traditional finance (TradFi).

It enables Ripple to custody client assets under federal oversight, boosting confidence among institutions. While Ripple still awaits a full national trust bank charter, conditional approval benefits XRP and RLUSD stablecoin to operate within U.S. banking frameworks.

However, banking groups criticized the OCC’s approach, arguing it creates an uneven playing field or improperly expands powers for crypto-focused entities. The Bank Policy Institute, representing JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup, is considering a lawsuit against the OCC for crypto firm charters.

Meanwhile, banking groups also challenged stablecoin yield and rewards in the CLARITY Act, delaying markup in the US Senate. Recently, Coinbase opposed a stablecoin yield compromise that impacts revenue in the crypto industry.

XRP Price Falters Ahead of Ripple Bank Status

XRP fell more than 2.50% in the past 24 hours, with the price currently trading at $1.31. The 24-hour low and high are $1.32 and $1.36, respectively.

Furthermore, trading volume has increased further by 18% over the last 24 hours, indicating interest among traders. Recently, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse highlighted TradFi demand for crypto assets and stablecoins.

CoinGlass data showed selling sentiment in the derivatives market. At the time of writing, the total XRP futures open interest plunged 4.39% to $2.45 billion in the last 4 hours. XRP futures OI on CME crashes by more than 20% and jumped 0.77% on Binance.