Tennessee Bankers Association Endorses Stablecore as Digital Asset Technology Provider

WHY THIS MATTERS

The endorsement of Stablecore by the Tennessee Bankers Association (TBA) on May 5, 2026, marks a watershed moment for the “Main Street” adoption of digital assets. Traditionally, regional and community banks have been excluded from the crypto economy due to the extreme technical complexity and regulatory risk of building in-house infrastructure. By naming Stablecore as its preferred technology provider, the TBA—which represents 175 member institutions—is providing a “regulatory-ready” blueprint for local banks to compete with global megabanks and fintechs. This partnership allows community banks to offer stablecoin payments, Bitcoin accounts, and tokenized deposits directly within their existing digital banking apps, effectively turning a local branch into a 24/7/365 global financial hub.

For Tennessee’s economy, this means that “on-chain” capital is no longer siloed in Silicon Valley or New York. Small businesses can now utilize instant, GENIUS-compliant stablecoin rails for global supply chain payments, while consumers can access digital asset-collateralized loans at their trusted local bank. This endorsement follows similar moves by the Texas and Maine Bankers Associations, signaling a coordinated push by state-level regulators to ensure that the community banking model remains relevant in a future where deposits are increasingly tokenized and treasury management happens at machine speed.

Stablecore, the platform enabling community and regional banks to offer stablecoins, tokenized deposits and digital asset products, today announced its official endorsement from Tennessee Bankers Association, the trade association established to serve the needs of the state’s banks, thrift institutions, and trust companies. 

As an endorsed partner, Stablecore will serve as the preferred digital asset technology provider for the Association which has 175 member institutions and additional associate members. Through this partnership, Tennessee banks will be able to offer stablecoin and digital asset products to remain competitive in the market and provide additional value to current and new customers.  

“Our infrastructure partners play a vital role in supporting Tennessee banks as the industry evolves and new customer demands arise,” said Colin Barrett, President and CEO of Tennessee Bankers Association. “We look forward to working with Stablecore to support the innovation of our members. Bank customers will greatly benefit from digital asset functionality within the secure and trusted environment of their local bank.” 

The challenge for depository institutions is understanding and bringing together the numerous, complex pieces required to support digital asset offerings.  

“This endorsement validates our mission of bringing compliant, industry-leading digital asset technology to Main Street financial institutions and the communities they serve,” said Alex Treece, CEO and co-founder of Stablecore. “Operationalizing digital asset programs is an important step for banks to take this year to remain competitive and retain customers.” 

Stablecore unifies the critical components necessary to support digital asset offerings, enabling financial institutions to offer these products without changing their technology infrastructure. With Stablecore, Tennessee banks can now offer:

• Stablecoin Accounts, Payments and Acceptance: Facilitate 24/7/365, instant, GENIUS-compliant stablecoin rails alongside existing payment options
• Digital Asset Accounts with On and Off Ramps: Drive greater deposits with digital asset accounts (e.g., Bitcoin) and seamless on and off ramps directly inside existing digital banking experiences
• Digital Asset-Collateralized Lending: Unlock new high yield loan opportunities through digital asset-based loans
• Tokenized Deposits and Assets: Tokenize deposits and support the growing ecosystem of other tokenized assets such as treasuries, loans, securities
• Staking Rewards: Enable clients with eligible assets (e.g., ETH, SOL) to earn staking yield on their holdings 

“Stablecore is the bedrock infrastructure that allows community banks to evolve with stablecoins and tokenization without overhauling their existing tech stack,” said Wade Peery, a veteran Tennessee Banker. “I’ve spent my career helping banks navigate change, and the shift toward digital assets is one of the most significant we’ve faced. This endorsement is a win for Tennessee banks and will allow our bankers to focus on what they do best — serve their communities.” 

Tennessee banks will benefit from Stablecore’s industry-leading expertise and innovative technology. From instant global payments and treasury management with stablecoins, to digital asset custody and exchange, to digital asset-backed lending and more, Stablecore opens up new revenue streams, increases deposit bases, and allows financial institutions to attract new customers and retain account primacy.

FF NEWS TAKE

Stablecore is effectively becoming the “middleware” that bridges the gap between 1970s core banking systems and 2026 blockchain reality. Its recent integrations with Jack Henry and Q2 Holdings mean that over 1,600 US financial institutions can now toggle on digital asset services without a “rip and replace” of their existing tech stack. This “sidecar” model—where digital asset rails sit alongside FedNow and ACH—is the only way community banks can achieve the operational agility needed to survive the shift toward programmable finance.

However, the real challenge for Tennessee bankers will be the education of both their boards and their customers. While the infrastructure is now “endorsed,” the compliance burden remains significant, especially regarding the SEC and CFTC’s evolving stance on staking and stablecoin yield. Stablecore’s partnership with TRM Labs for real-time AML monitoring provides a necessary safety net, but as Senator Bill Hagerty recently noted, the legislative work on stablecoin market structure is still ongoing. For now, the TBA’s endorsement gives Tennessee banks a vital first-mover advantage, ensuring they are the “trusted custodians” of the digital dollar before non-bank intermediaries can fully capture the market.