World Liberty Financial has filed for a US national banking charter as stablecoins increasingly shift from trading tools into payment infrastructure.
The company said on Wednesday that World Liberty Trust submitted a de novo application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The OCC is the Treasury bureau that charters and supervises national banks in the United States.
The filing aims to further integrate the firm’s dollar-linked stablecoin activity within the federal regulatory framework. World Liberty has designed the trust structure to operate under direct bank-style oversight.
If the application is approved, the charter would allow the trust to issue and safeguard USD1. USD1 is the dollar-backed stablecoin launched by World Liberty last year.
USD1 has expanded quickly since its launch and now has an estimated market value of about $3.4 billion. The token has already appeared in major crypto transactions tied to large-scale dealmaking.
One such transaction involved a third-party investor using USD1 tokens to acquire a $2 billion stake in Binance. The deal highlighted the token’s use beyond routine trading activity.
World Liberty operates under custody framework
World Liberty has so far relied on established crypto infrastructure providers. BitGo currently provides custody for USD1 reserves.
The company has described this arrangement as a compliant setup. It combines stablecoin issuance with traditional reserve management, reporting, and oversight practices.
The charter application arrives during a period of increased regulatory openness toward crypto in Washington. The shift has taken place under President Donald Trump, whose administration has taken a more supportive stance toward digital assets.
Regulators have recently signaled a willingness to bring crypto firms under bank-style supervision. This approach aims to integrate digital asset activity into existing financial oversight frameworks.
In December, the OCC approved national trust bank charters for several crypto and digital asset firms. The list included BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, Circle, Ripple, and Paxos.
Trust banks operate under a narrower mandate than full-service banks. They generally cannot accept deposits or issue loans.
Even with these limits, the status of a trust bank may be advantageous in operation. It enables issuers of stablecoins to store assets and perform conversion as well as settlement operations without complete dependence on third parties.
Trust design follows federal stablecoin rules
According to World Liberty, the proposed trust targets institutional clients. They consist of exchanges, market makers, and investment firms that want a bank-like structure of custody and conversion of stablecoins.
The company also indicated that it will adhere to the GENIUS Act. A federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins was created by the law in July 2025.
According to World Liberty, the trust will comply with anti-money laundering and anti-sanctions screening requirements. These controls fall under the compliance requirements contained in the application.
The relocation has also attracted political interest. A Trump-linked stablecoin within governed finance has drawn objections about possible conflict with regulated finance.
World Liberty was responding by implementing governance protections. The company announced that the Trump family has a non-voting interest and is not going to be engaged in the day-to-day business.