OCC leads the way as first agency to finalize regulations

What happened: The OCC became the first federal agency to finalize rules under the Genius Act, addressing stablecoin rewards and the ban on issuers paying interest. Key numbers: Rules implement on October 21 and take effect January 18, 2027. Why it matters: The OCC said existing reward programs get no automatic pass and will be assessed individually, so whether exchanges can keep paying rewards depends on the details. Market: -5.2% today ($167.81), -29.1% YTD, 0.6x vol — as of 19:17 UTC

The OCC became the first federal agency to finalize rules under the Genius Act, addressing stablecoin rewards and the ban on issuers paying interest.

The OCC said existing reward programs get no automatic pass and will be assessed individually, so whether exchanges can keep paying rewards depends on the details. Market: -5.2% today ($167.81), -29.1% YTD, 0.6x vol — as of 19:17 UTC