Circle shares rise 15% after OCC approves trust bank

Shares of Circle Internet Group surged in premarket trading on Friday, July 10, 2026, after the company received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish a federally regulated national trust bank. The stock climbed as much as 15 percent, rebounding from a recent selloff, following the regulatory milestone that strengthens the infrastructure behind the company's flagship USDC stablecoin.

The new entity, Circle National Trust, will operate under the legal name First National Digital Currency Bank, N.A., and will be subject to direct federal oversight by the OCC. Initially, the trust bank will provide digital asset custody services exclusively for Circle and its affiliated companies. Its approved business plan allows for future expansion to offer custody to a limited number of institutional clients, such as banks and regulated derivatives organizations.

Chief Executive Jeremy Allaire said the federal oversight sets a new standard for transparency, governance, and scale for the company's infrastructure. He framed the approval as a defining step in integrating blockchain technology and digital assets into the core of the U.S. financial system.