<div id="readability-page-1"><div>The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a US financial regulator, reissued a staff letter on Friday to expand the criteria for payment stablecoins to include national trust banks, recognizing their eligibility to issue the fiat-pegged tokens.The CFTC amended Staff Letter 25-40, which was issued on December 8, 2025, to include national trust banks, financial institutions allowed to function in all 50 US states. National Trust Banks typically do not provide retail banking services like lending or checking accounts. Instead, they offer custodial services, act as executors on behalf of clients and provide asset management services. The CFTC letter said:“The [Market Participants] Division did not intend to exclude national trust banks as issuers of payment stablecoins for purposes of Letter 25-40. Therefore, the division is reissuing the content of Letter 25-40, with an expanded definition of payment stablecoin.”<figure></figure>The letter reflects the regulatory climate in the US toward stablecoins after US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS stablecoin bill into law in July 2025.The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act is a comprehensive regulatory framework for US dollar stablecoins, blockchain tokens pegged to the dollar. Related: CFTC pulls Biden-era proposal to ban sports, political prediction marketsThe Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation outlines a plan for banks to issue stablecoinsIn December 2025, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), a US banking regulator, proposed a framework under which commercial banks could issue stablecoins.The proposal allows banks to issue the tokens through a subsidiary subject to oversight by the FDIC, which will gauge whether both the parent company and subsidiary are compliant with GENIUS Act requirements for issuing stablecoins.These requirements include redemption policies, sufficient backing collateral for the stablecoin in the form of cash deposits and short-term government securities, as well as assessments of the bank and subsidiary’s overall financial health. Under the GENIUS Act, only overcollateralized stablecoins, which are backed 1:1 with fiat currency deposits or short-term government securities, like US Treasury Bills, are recognized.Algorithmic stablecoins and synthetic dollars, which rely on software to maintain their dollar pegs or complex market trading strategies, were excluded from the regulatory framework.</div></div>

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The CFTC has expanded the criteria for payment stablecoins to include national trust banks, allowing them to issue fiat-pegged tokens. This amendment to Staff Letter 25-40 reflects a shift in the regulatory landscape following the GENIUS Act, which establishes a framework for US dollar stablecoins. The FDIC has also proposed a plan for commercial banks to issue stablecoins, ensuring compliance with the GENIUS Act's requirements, including overcollateralization and financial health assessments. Algorithmic and synthetic stablecoins are excluded from this framework.

- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has reissued a staff letter to allow national trust banks to issue payment stablecoins, expanding eligibility criteria.  
- This amendment reflects the regulatory changes following the GENIUS Act, which establishes a framework for US dollar stablecoins and their compliance requirements.  
- Additionally, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) proposed a plan for commercial banks to issue stablecoins through a subsidiary, ensuring compliance with the GENIUS Act.

CFTC expands payment stablecoin criteria to include national trust banks