The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced it is elevating and renaming its chartering and licensing function and appointed Stephen Lybarger as Senior Deputy Comptroller for Chartering, Organization and Structure. The OCC framed the change as reflecting the strategic importance of chartering and licensing to the federal banking system, including its support for de novo bank formation, openness to business combinations that foster competition and better support consumers and communities, and its remit to license payment stablecoin issuers. In the new role, Lybarger will oversee the OCC’s licensing function as a separate line of business with staff in Washington, D.C. and in regional offices. His responsibilities include managing licensing for national banks, federal savings associations and payment stablecoin issuers, as well as proposals for growth and structure changes; he will also coordinate with the Chief Counsel’s Office and Bank Supervision and Examination on these proposals. He will serve on the OCC’s Executive Committee and report to the Comptroller of the Currency. Lybarger previously served as Deputy Comptroller for Licensing from 2010 and has been with the OCC since 1984.