North Dakota Teams with Fiserv to Launch Dollar-Backed Roughrider Stablecoin in 2026

Highlights:

• North Dakota plans to launch Roughrider Coin to modernize payments and support local banks.
• Roughrider Coin is backed by the U.S. dollar and aims for secure, fast, and efficient transactions.
• State-owned bank partners with Fiserv to bring blockchain innovation to finance.

North Dakota’s state-owned bank is entering digital finance with a new stablecoin. They announced plans for Roughrider Coin, a U.S. dollar-backed token created with global payments company Fiserv. The coin will launch in 2026 and will first be available to banks and credit unions in the state. Banks, merchants, and international users will use it for transfers, payments, and cross-border remittances.

Roughrider Coin to Boost North Dakota’s Financial System

Don Morgan, president of the Bank of North Dakota (BND), said the project strengthens the state’s financial system and keeps it relevant in a global economy. He added that the bank has always supported agriculture, business, and industry, and now digital assets are part of that mission. 

“With Roughrider Coin, we’re bringing together the reliability of traditional finance and the innovation of blockchain to deliver faster and smarter digital payments,” Takis Georgakopoulos, COO at Fiserv, noted. Security is a key focus because digital currencies can face hacks and system problems. Fiserv’s platform protects users with fraud checks and strong data security, while the Bank of North Dakota has agreed to strict monitoring and risk rules.

Fiserv handled around 35 billion merchant transactions in 2022. The platform, introduced in June, offers banks a customizable “white-label” stablecoin solution for digital asset transactions. Roughrider Coin will run on this system and is expected to work with other stablecoins. They named the coin after Theodore Roosevelt, who served as U.S. president from 1901 to 1909. In the 1800s, he led the Rough Riders in Cuba against Spain and later settled in North Dakota after leaving politics.

Governor Kelly Armstrong said the project uses advanced technology to make North Dakota’s financial system safer and more efficient. “As one of the first states to issue our own stablecoin backed by real money, the Bank of North Dakota and Fiserv are helping our financial institutions embrace new ways of moving money with the Roughrider Coin,” he added.

The Bank of North Dakota has always been an innovator, and today we announced a partnership with Fiserv to develop ND’s own stablecoin, the Roughrider coin. This digital asset, backed by the U.S. dollar, will improve efficiency and quality control in the banking sector, a direct… pic.twitter.com/1yIB9A3Zr9

— Governor Kelly Armstrong (@GovArmstrong) October 8, 2025

Roughrider Coin is the second state stablecoin this year. First, Wyoming launched Frontier Stable Token (FRNT) on seven blockchains, then confirmed Hedera as its issuer.

🇺🇸 WYOMING’S STATE-ISSUED STABLE TOKEN $FRNT, THE FIRST STATE-ISSUED STABLE TOKEN IN THE U.S., WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE ON HEDERA $HBAR pic.twitter.com/XTw1rgeIC0

— The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) September 5, 2025

Federal Laws Support Stablecoin Launch

The Roughrider Coin comes after new federal laws. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump passed the GENIUS Act, which stopped the Federal Reserve from creating a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The law lets banks and financial institutions create U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins in a regulated way.

Wyoming and North Dakota are preparing to launch their own stablecoins into an increasingly packed market. The passage of the GENIUS Act in July has made the US stablecoin sector more divided and competitive than ever. Even though USDT and USDC remain the top cryptocurrencies by market value, a fresh wave of newcomers is beginning to reshape the market dynamics