Circle announced that it has received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish First National Digital Currency Bank, a national trust bank that will operate under the name Circle National Trust. The charter was applied for in June 2025 and will permit Circle to create a federally regulated trust institution to expand its digital asset custody infrastructure. Circle National Trust will initially provide fiduciary digital asset custody services to Circle and its affiliated companies, according to its approved business plan. It may later expand custody services to a limited group of institutional clients, including banks and regulated derivatives firms, if demand arises. The approval enables Circle to place management of the USDC reserve under federal oversight if the reserve operations are implemented. The approval adds another layer to Circle’s growing regulatory footprint across major financial markets. Circle previously obtained the first BitLicense from the New York Department of Financial Services in 2015 and became the first global stablecoin issuer to comply with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation in 2024. It also holds regulatory approvals in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Bermuda, Canada and Abu Dhabi as it expands USDC infrastructure globally. At the time of publication, USDC was the second‑largest stablecoin by market capitalization, valued at $73.3 billion, with a 16.7 percent increase over the past year and a 2.5 percent decline year‑to‑date. Circle Internet Group’s stock rose about 16 percent in pre‑market trading, climbing above $73 after a prior close of $63. The move positions Circle to deepen its role in the U.S. digital‑asset ecosystem, though the broader market impact remains uncertain.