Ripple just made a move that materially changes its regulatory posture in the U.S.

Ripple Labs has filed an interagency application to establish Ripple National Trust Bank, a federally regulated trust bank. This is a shift from operating around the financial system to operating inside it.

This is not an exchange license or a payments workaround. A U.S. trust bank operates under established banking and supervisory frameworks.

The application advanced roughly one week ago.

Why this matters:

• Enables institution-grade digital asset custody

• Provides direct access to U.S. banking infrastructure

• Reduces dependence on third-party intermediaries

• Makes compliance a structural feature, not a constraint

• Positions XRP within regulated financial workflows

While much of the crypto sector has focused on regulatory defense, Ripple appears to be pursuing institutional integration as a long-term strategy.

Whether one is constructive or skeptical on XRP, few digital asset firms have progressed this far toward formal banking alignment in the United States.

A development that could reshape how institutions engage with Ripple and its ecosystem.