North Dakota’s Roughrider Coin: The Stablecoin Revolution You Didn’t Know You Needed

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The great state of North Dakota, in a move that’s as surprising as a snowstorm in July, has jumped into the wild world of stablecoins. And who better to do it with than Fiserv Inc., the financial giant known for processing more transactions than you can shake a rancher’s hat at? Together, they’ve unveiled the Roughrider Coin, a stablecoin backed by none other than the mighty U.S. dollar. Because, let’s face it, if you’re going to do a stablecoin, why not back it with something real?

Kelly Armstrong, the Governor of the Bank of North Dakota, had this to say: “As one of the first states to issue our own stablecoin backed by real money, North Dakota is taking a cutting-edge approach to creating a secure and efficient financial ecosystem for our citizens.” Yeah, sure, cutting-edge… but let’s not forget the good ol’ days of cattle trading. One step at a time, Kelly, one step at a time.

Key Details of the North Dakota Stablecoin

The Roughrider Coin, set to roll out in 2026, will be available to banks and financial institutions across North Dakota. According to the Bank of North Dakota, this coin will be so smooth you can swap it for other assets like butter on a hot biscuit. Why? To make digital payments faster, smarter, and – probably – more fun. Go figure.

Now, why did Fiserv get the nod? Well, with a customer base that includes 10,000 financial institutions, 6 million merchants, and processing more transactions than you can count on a whole herd of cattle, Fiserv’s got the juice. And North Dakota’s betting on that juice to fuel this stablecoin revolution.

“With Roughrider Coin, we’re bringing together the reliability of traditional finance and the innovation of blockchain to deliver faster and smarter digital payments,” said Takis Georgakopoulos, COO at Fiserv. Sure, Takis. If you say so. We’re just hoping it doesn’t end up as another digital ghost town in the vast plains of the internet.

Bigger Picture

The Roughrider Coin, naturally, is named after Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. Because if you’re going to launch a coin, why not throw in a little history, right? This move comes on the heels of some federal changes that are shaking up the stablecoin scene. Earlier this year, President Trump, the man who loves a good policy, signed the GENIUS Act. This law made sure the Federal Reserve couldn’t start launching their own Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), but it did give a green light for financial institutions to explore stablecoins backed by the good ol’ U.S. dollar. So, North Dakota, ever the trendsetter, is stepping up with the Roughrider Coin. And they’re not alone-Wyoming’s already on the map with its Frontier Stable Token (FRNT). The West is wild, folks, and so is this digital currency thing.

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2025-10-09 00:04