Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A., the Anchorage-headquartered institution known as America’s first federally regulated crypto bank, announced a partnership with LayerZero that will route stablecoins issued through the bank across LayerZero’s Omnichain Fungible Token (OFT) standard.
What the deal does
The integration will allow institutional issuers that work with Anchorage to move dollar tokens between a growing number of blockchains using a single interoperability layer. Anchorage’s issuance platform already supports tokens tied to Tether, Western Union, OSL Group and Falcon Finance, and the new partnership makes LayerZero the preferred interoperability partner for assets issued through Anchorage.
- OFT coverage: LayerZero’s OFT standard spans more than 170 blockchains.
- Lifetime transfers: The framework has processed roughly $280 billion in transfers and represents about 87 percent of reported cross-chain volume, according to LayerZero.
- Issuer control: Under the arrangement, the bank retains regulatory responsibility for issuance while using OFT to maintain a unified token supply across chains.
"The OFT standard lets an issuer maintain a unified token supply across chains rather than relying on wrapped assets or third-party bridge liquidity,"
That approach aims to reduce dependence on wrapped representations and external bridge liquidity by allowing issuers to keep control of their token contracts while enabling transfers across multiple networks.
Which stablecoins are involved
The first Anchorage-issued token to launch with LayerZero interoperability is USAT, Tether’s U.S.-regulated dollar token. Anchorage Digital Bank is acting as the issuer of USAT rather than Tether itself; USAT launched in January and is expected to travel across Ethereum, EVM-compatible networks and Solana through the OFT layer.
Anchorage’s issuance platform also supports other dollar tokens that could adopt the same OFT routes over time:
| Token | Issuer / Partner | OFT status |
|---|---|---|
| USAT | Tether (issued by Anchorage Digital Bank) | First to launch with LayerZero interoperability; transfers expected to span Ethereum, EVM networks and Solana |
| USDPT | Western Union (supported on Anchorage platform) | OFT route forthcoming |
| USDGO | OSL Group | OFT route forthcoming |
| fUSD | Falcon Finance | OFT route forthcoming |
Local and regulatory significance
Anchorage Digital’s role as issuer ties cross-chain reach to a financial institution that operates under federal oversight. The bank is supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which matters for Anchorage residents because it places Anchorage Digital within a traditional U.S. banking regulatory framework rather than leaving custody and issuance solely in the unregulated crypto sector.
For Anchorage and Alaska’s broader economy, the deal underscores the city’s emergence as a hub for regulated crypto services. Anchorage Digital has previously emphasized its custody and issuance capabilities; adding LayerZero’s interoperability could make the city more attractive to institutional clients looking to issue dollar tokens that can move across many blockchains without relying on wrapped assets or third-party bridges.
Why this matters for users and institutions
Proponents of cross-chain standards say they reduce operational complexity for issuers and improve liquidity access for token holders. By routing stablecoins through a unified interoperability layer, issuers can maintain a single supply footprint while supporting transfers among multiple networks.
Anchorage’s announcement did not include activation dates or a complete list of destination chains for tokens beyond USAT. LayerZero likewise has not published full destination-chain lists or timelines for USDPT, USDGO and fUSD, leaving those expansion plans to be announced.
Anchorage Digital’s deal with LayerZero ties a widely used interoperability standard to a federally regulated issuer — a development that could shape how institutional dollar tokens are issued and moved across networks in the months ahead.
