More than 12 crypto firms apply for U.S. OCC national trust bank licenses.

ChainCatcher report: According to market sources, since December 2025, more than 12 cryptocurrency and fintech companies have applied for or received a national trust bank charter from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), including Coinbase, Ripple, Circle, BitGo, Morgan Stanley, and Fidelity Digital Assets. Kraken’s parent company, Payward, has also submitted an application to establish Payward National Trust Company, aiming to provide bank-grade crypto custody and trust services to institutional and individual clients. The Comptroller of the Currency stated that new entrants into the federal banking system benefit consumers, the banking industry, and the economy, and that the OCC will continue to provide pathways for both traditional and innovative financial services. A national trust bank charter enables companies to manage assets under a single federal regulator, reducing reliance on external banking partners. However, most companies remain in the conditional approval stage, with Anchorage Digital Bank being the only fully operational national trust bank. Another major unresolved issue is access to the Federal Reserve’s payment infrastructure; Federal Reserve officials indicate they are exploring simplified account structures but have not yet established a formal framework.