Stablecore rolls out early-access stablecoin program for credit unions, tapping $25B in assets
Stablecore has launched an early-access stablecoin and digital-asset sandbox aimed at U.S. credit unions, giving participating institutions a low-risk way to test blockchain-based financial services before deciding whether to roll them into member-facing banking platforms.
The program, announced Wednesday, is a collaboration between Stablecore, Circuit (formerly Members Development Company), and Curql, a fintech investment collective backed by more than 160 credit unions. The initial cohort includes Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union (RBFCU), Stanford Federal Credit Union, and La Capitol Federal Credit Union — institutions that together represent roughly $25 billion in assets.
What credit unions can test
Through Stablecore’s platform, participating credit unions will be able to evaluate a suite of digital-asset capabilities including stablecoin payments, tokenized deposits, Bitcoin services, crypto on- and off-ramps, staking, and other custody and execution workflows. The products are designed to plug into existing digital-banking experiences so credit unions can experiment without disrupting member services.
Why it matters
“Members trust their credit unions because they deliver secure, consolidated access to the products they care about,” said Alex Treece, Stablecore’s CEO and co-founder. Enabling digital-asset offerings, he said, helps credit unions “stay relevant against competitive threats, retain deposits and continue to be the trusted primary financial partner” for members.
Circuit’s chief strategy officer, Ethan Cunningham, described the initiative as “a collaborative space” for institutions to learn how stablecoins and tokenized assets could shape payments and finance, while remaining true to a member-first approach.
Education and compliance built in
Stablecore says the program includes staff and member education modules to support future adoption. The company also recently hired former FDIC regulator Ben Hailey as head of risk and compliance to oversee governance, risk and compliance frameworks for partner institutions — a signal that regulatory readiness is central to the rollout.
A continuation of Stablecore’s push into traditional finance
The initiative expands on Stablecore’s earlier efforts to bring stablecoin and tokenized-asset services into traditional banking rails. In February the firm joined the Jack Henry Fintech Integration Network, which connects to roughly 1,670 bank and credit union core clients. In May, Stablecore was named a preferred digital-asset technology provider by the Tennessee Bankers Association, opening its stablecoin accounts, tokenized deposits, crypto-backed lending and related services to the association’s 175+ member banks. Tennessee Bankers Association president and CEO Colin Barrett said then that customers would benefit from digital-asset tools delivered within the “secure and trusted environment of their local bank.”
Regulatory backdrop
The rollout comes as U.S. credit unions prepare for possible stablecoin regulation. In February the National Credit Union Administration proposed a licensing framework that would require payment-stablecoin issuers operating through subsidiaries of federally insured credit unions to obtain an NCUA license before issuing stablecoins. That proposal focused on licensing and supervision; additional rules on reserves, capital, liquidity and risk management are expected in future rulemaking.
Bottom line
Stablecore’s pilot gives credit unions a structured way to prototype digital-asset services while prioritizing member trust and regulatory guardrails. For a sector managing some $25 billion in collective assets, the program could be an early test of whether stablecoins and tokenized deposits move from experiment to mainstream credit-union offerings.
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