OCC’s GENIUS Act Plan: Stablecoin Rules by November, Applications in 2027

OCC Chairman Jonathan Gould stated at the SALT conference that they will finalize the GENIUS Act rules by November and begin processing applications in the early days of 2027.

Speaking at the annual SALT conference in Wyoming, Gould said, “That is why we are putting a great emphasis on moving quickly and publishing the final rule by November; so that we can begin processing applications in the new year.” The OCC made revisions to the 376-page proposal it opened for public comment in February, based on the feedback received. Relevant agencies, particularly the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), were instructed to finalize the rules by July, but this deadline was missed. The draft outlines the OCC’s authority in stablecoin supervision and capital and liquidity requirements for risk management.

While the timeline for the implementation of the GENIUS Act becomes clear, the future of the Clarity Act, which is expected to provide more comprehensive cryptocurrency regulation, remains uncertain. The passage of the bill this year seems difficult due to Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest in the cryptocurrency space and disagreements regarding stablecoin rewards.

Critical timeline for the GENIUS Act to be finalized in November

Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act in July 2025. While the law established a federal framework for the stablecoin market, it set an effective date of January 2027. The OCC is also preparing to receive applications in the new year by publishing final rules before this date.

Stating that it is unknown how the Clarity Act process will turn out, Gould said, “What we have is the GENIUS Act. This law has been in effect for over a year and we now need to implement it.” Thus, regardless of whether the Clarity Act is enacted, an implementation schedule led by the OCC and focused on November and early 2027 has been established for the GENIUS Act.