Open Standard names Bridge co-founder Zach Abrams full-time CEO
CoinGape reports Open Standard, maker of the OUSD stablecoin, named Bridge co-founder Zach Abrams as full-time CEO, leaving Stripe to run the project full time.
Why it matters
Abrams now runs Open Standard full time, and the OUSD effort is weeks old, having launched in June with more than 140 corporate backers. The company he left was the subject of a $1.1 billion Stripe deal in 2025, so Open Standard is being run by someone who has already been through a major crypto-adjacent acquisition.
Key facts
Open Standard, the company behind the Open USD (OUSD) stablecoin, has appointed Bridge co-founder Zach Abrams as its full-time CEO.
Reported by CoinGape
Abrams said on X that he is leaving Stripe to run Open Standard full time.
Reported by CoinGape
Abrams had been Open Standard's interim CEO since the project was unveiled in June while also leading Bridge.
Reported by CoinGape
Open Standard launched in June with more than 140 companies backing its Open USD initiative.
140 companiesReported by CoinGape
Stripe acquired Bridge in 2025 for about $1.1 billion.
1,100,000,000 USDReported by CoinGape
Abrams said that at Bridge they made stablecoins more accessible but that their impact was constrained by issuers' economics and incentives.
Reported by CoinGape
Before Bridge, Abrams held product leadership roles at Square, Coinbase and Brex.
Reported by CoinGape
At the June launch, Abrams described OUSD as a stablecoin designed for businesses and the internet economy.
Reported by CoinGape
What happened
CoinGape reported that Open Standard, the company behind the Open USD (OUSD) stablecoin, has appointed Bridge co-founder Zach Abrams as its full-time CEO. Abrams said in a post on X that he is leaving Stripe to run Open Standard full time, and that he had already been serving as interim CEO since the project was unveiled in June, when more than 140 companies backed the Open USD initiative. He will now drop his remaining leadership work at Bridge, the stablecoin infrastructure company, to focus entirely on Open Standard. Abrams said his time at Bridge showed stablecoin adoption stayed limited by the economics and incentives of existing issuers, and that Open Standard aims to remove those constraints. Stripe bought Bridge in 2025 for about $1.1 billion, and before Bridge, Abrams held product leadership roles at Square, Coinbase and Brex. CoinGape is the only outlet carrying the appointment, so the details of the move come from that report alone.
How the story developed
- First report
First report by CoinGape
Open Standard OUSD Gets Full Time CEO as Bridge Co-Founder Zach Leaves Stripe
- Update
CoinGape reports the full-time CEO appointment
The only outlet to cover the move describes Abrams taking over Open Standard full time from his interim role.
- Official statement
Abrams announces the move on X
He wrote that he is leaving Stripe to run Open Standard full time.
- Update
Open Standard unveils Open USD with 140-plus backers
Abrams, then interim CEO, described OUSD as a stablecoin built for businesses and the internet economy.
- Update
Stripe acquires Bridge for about $1.1 billion
The 2025 purchase brought Abrams into Stripe's stablecoin push.
Affected entities
Also mentioned: BlackRock, USD Coin
Original sources
| Publisher | Report | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| CoinGape Crypto media | Open Standard OUSD Gets Full Time CEO as Bridge Co-Founder Zach Leaves Stripe | Original |
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