Archives

October 6, 2026 @ 7:38 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Community bankers have taken the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to federal court, arguing that the agency has stretched its chartering power to let cryptocurrency firms enter the banking system under a lighter set of rules than traditional lenders face. On October… Read More

August 17, 2026 @ 7:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

On August 14, 2026, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued preliminary conditional approval for a national trust bank charter application submitted by World Liberty Trust Company, National Association. The entity is linked to World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency platform in which… Read More

August 12, 2026 @ 3:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

This past week, it was reported that Netherlands-based digital bank bunq had been denied a US charter by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The response sent to bunq’s legal representation in the US was uncharacteristically harsh and critical of the Fintech’s attempt… Read More

August 11, 2026 @ 7:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has rejected an application from Amsterdam-based digital bank Bunq to establish a new national bank in the United States. In a decision letter dated August 4, 2026, and made public shortly thereafter, the regulator determined that… Read More

July 24, 2026 @ 11:27 am By JD Alois  |  

The GENIUS Act became law in 2025, but rules crafted by various regulators were due on July 18, 2026. Today, the American Fintech Council distributed a statement on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and its AML/CFT requirements. The OCC’s proposal is viewable… Read More

June 19, 2026 @ 8:47 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Federal agencies are moving forward with rules that would require stablecoin issuers to verify customer identities in a manner closely aligned with longstanding requirements for traditional banks. The joint proposal, released on June 18, 2026, implements key provisions of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation… Read More

May 21, 2026 @ 8:00 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Fintech professional Simon Taylor has shared key insights after the White House just issued an executive order under the Trump Administration requiring the SEC, CFTC, FDIC, OCC, CFPB, as well as the NCUA, to identify any applicable rules that block fintech firms within the next… Read More

May 9, 2026 @ 12:16 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Payward, the parent entity of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has taken a step toward expanding its regulated operations in the United States. On May 8, 2026, the company submitted an application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust company charter…. Read More

May 7, 2026 @ 1:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Circle, an issuer of U.S. dollar payment stablecoins, has formally responded to federal regulators with a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at refining the implementation of a new national licensing system for digital payments. In its submission dated May 1, 2026, the company outlined constructive… Read More

May 2, 2026 @ 8:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

ConsenSys has recently shared a detailed comment letter that was submitted this week focused on key stablecoin ecosystem developments. Blockchain infrastructure provider ConsenSys offered constructive feedback on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) proposed regulations for payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act…. Read More

April 8, 2026 @ 1:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Lorum, a correspondent institution that is currently serving financial institutions operating in the United States, has reportedly submitted an application for a US national bank charter. This is said to he part of a move that the company says will pave the way forward for… Read More

April 6, 2026 @ 9:54 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Bank Policy Institute (BPI), an organization associated with some of the largest financial institutions in the US, is actively exploring the possibility of taking legal action against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The dispute revolves around the federal regulator’s recent… Read More

April 2, 2026 @ 7:57 am By Omar Faridi  |  

As part of the ongoing movement that is focused on blending traditional finance with cryptocurrency infrastructure, EDX Markets has submitted an application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust bank charter. The institutional cryptocurrency exchange, supported by key… Read More

March 30, 2026 @ 9:45 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Valt has achieved conditional approval for a national banking charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The purely online business banking provider, helmed by a leadership team drawn from former US Bank executives, stands on the threshold of operating as a… Read More

March 6, 2026 @ 6:41 am By Omar Faridi  |  

In a significant step toward regulatory clarity in the evolving digital asset space, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve Board, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) jointly released new guidance and feedback on key issues. The document addresses… Read More

February 27, 2026 @ 12:28 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) recently took a decisive step forward by releasing a detailed notice of proposed rulemaking to put the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins or GENIUS Act into practice. The 376-page proposal outlines operational standards… Read More

February 20, 2026 @ 1:46 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As part of the ongoing effort focused on integrating digital assets into the traditional banking system, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is advancing rules that would expand the scope of national trust bank charters. This move, highlighted in recent regulatory updates,… Read More

January 2, 2026 @ 4:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

Debanking was prevalent during the Biden Administration. In effect, certain individuals and businesses were “debanked” because they were deemed to be in an undesirable line of business or were affiliated with entities viewed as not aligned with administration goals. This does not include criminal or… Read More

December 18, 2025 @ 5:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has recently reported the key issues that are now said to be facing the US federal banking system in the Semiannual Risk Perspective for Fall 2025. The OCC reported that the strength of the federal banking… Read More

December 12, 2025 @ 6:24 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has approved five national trust bank charter applications. The approvals are conditional but will allow the entities to operate under federal rules. The entities approved are in the digital asset sector, including First National Digital Currency… Read More