On October 21, 2026, the OCC announced a final rule implementing the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. The final rule becomes effective on January 18, 2027.

The rule applies to payment stablecoin issuers under the OCC’s jurisdiction, including certain foreign issuers. It establishes requirements for reserve backing, redemption rights, and risk management and also addresses certain digital asset custody activities conducted by OCC-supervised entities.

The rule does not address Bank Secrecy Act, anti-money laundering, or Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions requirements. Those requirements will be addressed through a separate rulemaking coordinated with the Department of the Treasury. The OCC will also announce separately when it will begin accepting and processing applications and waiver requests from prospective permitted payment stablecoin issuers.

You can review the OCC press release here.

CCI recommends sharing this update with your compliance officer and staff responsible for digital asset activities. Institutions engaged in or considering payment stablecoin issuance or related custody activities should review the final rule to determine its applicability and assess any needed changes to policies, procedures, and risk management before the effective date. CCI will continue monitoring for future application announcements and the separate BSA/AML and sanctions rulemaking. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with

CCI with any questions via inquiries@completecompli.com.