NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Stablecoin Standards Authority (SSA), an independent standards platform established within FedMSB, today issued a public call to form the Public-Sector-Associated Stablecoins (Non-CBDC) Standards Technical Working Group (the “Working Group”). The Working Group will develop a minimum baseline—a floor for clarity and comparability, not a ceiling on risk management—for disclosure, redemption, and governance practices for stablecoin arrangements that, based on non-exclusive factors including naming, official communications, distribution structure, or governance context, could reasonably lead a reasonable observer to infer a public-institution association, excluding central bank digital currency (CBDC).
The initiative is part of SSA’s broader mission to develop voluntary, evidence-based standards that strengthen the reliability, transparency, and operational clarity of U.S. dollar–denominated stablecoin arrangements—particularly where stablecoins interface with the Money Services Business (MSB) ecosystem and real-world payment rails. While SSA’s methods may be informative across contexts, this program prioritizes U.S. dollar–denominated arrangements given their outsized interface with MSBs, consumer payment rails, and related public-interest spillovers.
Focus: three questions that tend to decide outcomes under stress
The Working Group will concentrate on practical issues that can drive consumer harm, complaint cycles, and reputational spillovers during volatility:
- Disclosure: Where is the responsibility boundary? What recourse and remedies are described publicly—and what is explicitly disclaimed? Are key terms used in ways that could predictably mislead a reasonable consumer or intermediary, or create unjustified expectations of public backing?
- Redemption: How does redemption function operationally across distribution channels? What constraints are disclosed (including, where stated, service levels and the conditions under which redemption may be paused or delayed)?
- Governance: Who holds decision authority, how are changes managed, what transparency and assurance practices are described, and how are critical service providers defined, listed, and governed where applicable?
Transparent, non-regulatory—and designed to be checked
SSA emphasized that the Working Group is a technical standards body, not a regulator. It will not issue licenses, enforce rules, make regulatory determinations, or provide investment recommendations. This Working Group will not conduct compliance certification or issue any form of regulatory-equivalent approval. Participation in the Working Group—and any resulting publications—may not be represented by any party as governmental approval, endorsement, or a substitute for compliance obligations.
Outputs will be voluntary standards documents based solely on publicly available materials, using an “evidence-to-finding” approach intended to be reviewable by outsiders. Major releases will include an Evidence Index with pinpoint citations and access dates, and SSA will preserve archived snapshots for mutable web sources. The Working Group will also use tiered conflict-of-interest disclosures with automatic recusals, quorum and dual-channel voting (institutional and expert majorities), and a pre-publication adversarial review process (Red Team/Blue Team). Security-sensitive issues will be handled through a Responsible Disclosure process.
SSA will provide a 10 working-day public corrections window for major releases and will publish a revision log describing evidence updates and any resulting changes. Where feasible, verified corrections will be reflected in an updated version within 5 working days.
Separately, SSA may support voluntary benchmarking, crosswalks, or standards-alignment assessments in other programs. Any such activity—if offered—would be non-regulatory, optional, and distinct from governmental compliance certification, licensure, or supervisory approval, and it is not conducted by this Working Group. For avoidance of doubt, any voluntary benchmarking or crosswalk activity is not a rating, score, seal, or certification.
This initiative is governed by two public documents: SSA FRNT Evaluation Project Charter (V0.2) and Formation Rules and Eligibility Criteria (V0.3).
Two-track membership: institutions and independent experts
SSA invites participation through a two-track structure:
Institutional Members: organizations with demonstrated expertise in payments and settlement operations; redemption operations and liquidity plumbing; custody/reserves management; compliance (AML/sanctions/monitoring); cybersecurity and incident readiness; assurance (attestation/audit); market infrastructure; and risk management.
Expert Members: independent professionals serving in a personal capacity with verifiable qualifications in financial law and consumer protection; payments systems and operational resilience; financial engineering and risk; cybersecurity and key management; assurance and transparency; and governance and change control.
How to apply or nominate
Applications and nominations are open effective immediately.
Submission Email: [email protected]
Deadline: February 27, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET)
Required Materials: a capability statement (institutions) or CV/credentials (experts), proposed contributions, and an initial COI disclosure. Templates and COI forms will be posted at FedSSA.org. SSA will publish a provisional roster for evidence-based public comment before final confirmation.
About SSA
SSA is an independent standards platform within FedMSB that develops voluntary, evidence-based frameworks to strengthen the transparency and operational clarity of U.S. dollar–denominated stablecoin arrangements. For more information, please visit www.FedSSA.org.
Media Contact: Mr. Peter W. Tang, [email protected], 212-951-1168
Disclaimer: This announcement and any associated publications do not constitute legal advice, regulatory determinations, or investment advice.
SOURCE Stablecoin Standards Authority
