New York Financial Regulators Propose New Stablecoin Regulations Aligned with Federal GENIUS Act

According to The Block, the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) formally proposed stablecoin regulatory rules—“Authorized Payment Stablecoin Issuers”—on June 10 local time. Building upon the 2022 guidance framework (which includes core requirements such as 1:1 U.S. dollar backing, redeemability, and independent audits), the new rules introduce several additional provisions: reserve assets must be held in a diversified custodial arrangement, with a cap on concentration at any single custodian; issuers with issuance volumes exceeding $25 billion must hold an additional minimum of 0.5% of reserves (capped at $500 million) at FDIC-insured depository institutions; redemptions must be completed within two business days; and rehypothecation of reserve assets and payment of interest on reserves are prohibited. The rules explicitly align with the “substantially similar” certification standard under the federal GENIUS Act, aiming to preserve New York State’s regulatory authority over issuers with issuance volumes below $10 billion. A 10-day pre-comment period has now opened, followed by a formal 60-day public comment period. The final rules will take effect concurrently with the GENIUS Act, and currently licensed issuers will be granted a one-year compliance transition period.