The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has finalized the implementation rules for the GENIUS Act, which was originally enacted on July 18, 2025. The new regulatory framework for payment stablecoin issuers will officially take effect on January 18, 2027.
The rules establish requirements for reserve backing, capital, and custody practices for national banks and specific nonbank issuers. A minimum capital floor of $5 million is set for issuers, while tokenized deposits are explicitly excluded from the stablecoin definition.
Starting January 18, 2027, operating without regulatory approval will carry criminal penalties. To assist with the transition, the OCC will allow qualifying applicants to request waivers for up to 12 months.
The final rule, published on October 21, 2026, provides increased flexibility for managing reserve assets and removes previous restrictions on yield and rewards arrangements. Anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance remain under the coordination of the Treasury Department.
