Ripple Wins OCC Charter as Bitcoin Waits on Fed and Calacanis Calls $57K

Ripple secured a landmark regulatory win on October 26 when the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted final approval for Ripple National Trust Bank, a de novo federal trust charter that puts the company's digital asset operations under direct federal supervision. The new institution is authorized to manage the segregated reserves backing the RLUSD stablecoin, act as collateral trustee for RLUSD holders, and provide fiduciary digital asset custody services to institutional clients. RLUSD carried roughly $2.5B in reserves as of late October, and the New York-regulated subsidiary will continue issuing the token itself.

CEO Brad Garlinghouse timed the announcement ahead of Ripple Swell 2026, the company's annual institutional conference running October 27-29 in New York City. The approval follows conditional authorization granted in December 2025 alongside Circle, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos, all of which are moving through the same OCC pipeline under the GENIUS Act framework for U.S. payment stablecoins signed into law in July 2025.

Bitcoin Hovers Near $80K as Fed Decision Looms

Bitcoin traded near $79,800 on Tuesday as investors pulled back risk ahead of the Federal Reserve's October 28 policy meeting. Markets are pricing a roughly 91% probability that rates hold steady in the 3.75%-4% range, but traders remain cautious given elevated oil prices above $110 per barrel and the potential for hawkish commentary on inflation. About $33.56M in Bitcoin positions were liquidated in the prior 24 hours, including approximately $18.23M in long positions, adding to near-term selling pressure. Analysts at Bitfinex identified $77,000 as the next meaningful downside support if the $79,000 level gives way.

Against that backdrop, venture investor Jason Calacanis posted a blunt call on X, telling followers to sell Bitcoin entirely and shift capital into artificial intelligence, arguing the asset will revisit $57,000 and never reclaim its all-time high. Galaxy Research offered the opposite view on October 26, declaring the bear market over and pointing to BTC holding above its 50-week moving average near $76,000 as evidence that an accumulation phase began after a potential cycle bottom near $76,500 on June 30. Bitcoin is down more than 4% month-to-date and is heading toward a second consecutive losing October, leaving the debate between the two camps unresolved heading into Wednesday's Fed announcement.