US financial regulators are approaching the largest update of rules for digital assets in recent years. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will present the first package of requirements in the coming weeks, stemming from the GENIUS Act — a foundational law that for the first time creates a unified national regulatory system for stablecoins.
This step could become the starting point for forming a full-fledged federal infrastructure for digital money in the US.
GENIUS Act — what it changes
The document, signed by President Donald Trump in July, became the first attempt to bring together disparate norms into a single system. Before the law was adopted, stablecoin regulation remained vague: each company focused on local state requirements, banking regulations, and recommendations from various agencies.
The GENIUS Act eliminates fragmentation and introduces:
- a single set of requirements for stablecoin issuance
- a federal license for issuers
- division of powers between the FDIC, Federal Reserve System, OCC, and NCUA
- minimum standards for reserves and disclosure
The law forms the framework for a new generation crypto dollar — much safer and more manageable than existing stablecoins.
FDIC will license banking stablecoin issuers
Acting FDIC Chairman Travis Hill said the first regulatory document will be released by the end of the month. It will define how banks and their subsidiaries can issue stablecoins under FDIC supervision.
The model will be strict:
- a bank is required to submit an official application to issue a stablecoin
- FDIC will check the business model, reserve structure, and redemption mechanisms
- a minimum amount of liquid reserves may be set for the issuer
- risk management and transparency rules will become mandatory
The second package — broader “resilience principles” for payment stablecoins — is expected early next year. It will define reserve structure, internal company management requirements, and customer protection standards.
Important: The FDIC regulates only banking issuers. Non-bank companies remain under individual state rules for now — but Congress is expected to continue expanding the scope of federal oversight.
US regulators are changing their approach: tokenized banking products ahead
The FDIC is not limited to stablecoins. In parallel, the agency is preparing guidance on handling tokenized deposits — digital analogues of bank deposits that could become part of the future financial infrastructure.
This is about the next stage of banking digitalization:
- a deposit exists in the form of a token
- transferred instantly
- serviced by banking systems
- fully regulated
This idea echoes the recommendations of the President’s Working Group on Digital Assets, presented in July, and means that authorities see digital money not as an experiment, but as the future of the banking sector.
Why this matters for the market
Stablecoins today are the most widespread product in the crypto market. They provide liquidity, serve as digital cash, and are used both in DeFi and cross-border settlements. But the lack of unified federal standards increased risks and limited institutional demand.
The GENIUS Act and upcoming FDIC rules:
- open the door for banks that previously avoided issuing stablecoins
- create unified standards that increase trust in the industry
- form the basis for the next round of competition between banks and fintech companies
Given the sharp growth of the digital dollar — from USDT to tokenized treasury bonds — the US seeks to retain control over the monetary system by forming a regulated alternative to private stablecoins.
What’s next?
The first FDIC rule package will appear by the end of the month. This will be a key moment of the year: for the first time, a stablecoin will be considered a full-fledged banking product, not a technological experiment.
The next stage — detailed requirements for reserves and risk management — will determine who can operate under a federal license and who will remain on the periphery. It is already clear that the US is forming a new architecture for digital money, where stablecoins and tokenized deposits become basic elements of the future financial infrastructure.
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