The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is renewing its push to encourage the creation of new nationally chartered banks, a policy direction that could further open the federal banking system to cryptocurrency and digital-asset companies.
The OCC said it is prioritizing the revival of de novo chartering, the process through which newly created financial institutions can apply for national bank charters. The effort comes alongside changes at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) aimed at improving the process for reviewing deposit insurance applications.
The development is particularly significant for the crypto industry because the OCC's current licensing framework explicitly includes companies planning to provide digital-asset and crypto-related products and services. The agency maintains a dedicated list of pending digital-asset licensing applications.
OCC Wants More New Banks
Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould has made increasing new bank formation a priority, arguing that de novo institutions are an important part of a competitive and healthy banking system.
The OCC has pointed to a dramatic slowdown in new bank creation following the 2008 financial crisis. Gould previously told lawmakers that the agency received and approved more than 1,000 de novo charter applications between 1990 and 2008, before application volumes and approvals subsequently fell by roughly 90%. The agency says that trend has started to reverse, with charter applications increasing significantly.
The regulator's latest position suggests Washington wants to make the application process clearer and more efficient while maintaining regulatory and supervisory requirements.
For crypto companies, that could provide another path toward operating within the traditional U.S. financial system rather than relying entirely on partnerships with existing banks.
Crypto Firms Already Entering the Federal Banking System
The OCC's changing approach is not merely theoretical. The regulator has already approved or reviewed multiple applications involving major digital-asset businesses.
Previous OCC decisions have included applications involving BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, Paxos and Ripple, among others. The agency has also considered and approved additional digital-focused banking and trust institutions.
In April 2026, OCC records also showed a decision involving Coinbase National Trust Company, further illustrating the growing intersection between federally regulated banking and digital assets.
Meanwhile, the regulator's current pending application list includes numerous businesses proposing national banks or trust companies offering digital-asset services.
Gould has previously emphasized that the OCC does not intend to impose blanket restrictions on institutions simply because they want to engage in digital-asset activities. When the agency conditionally approved Erebor Bank in 2025, Gould said the decision demonstrated that crypto-related activity would not automatically prevent an applicant from obtaining a federal charter.
What It Could Mean for the Crypto Industry
Greater access to national bank charters could have substantial implications for U.S. crypto companies.
A federal charter can provide a clearer regulatory structure and potentially allow qualifying companies to expand services such as digital-asset custody, payments and other regulated financial activities under federal supervision. It may also reduce some of the regulatory fragmentation companies face when operating across multiple states.
The OCC is simultaneously developing rules for the stablecoin sector. Earlier this year, the regulator proposed regulations implementing parts of the GENIUS Act, including requirements affecting permitted payment stablecoin issuers and certain custody activities conducted by OCC-supervised institutions.
The broader direction suggests that digital assets are increasingly being incorporated into the regulated U.S. financial framework rather than treated as an industry operating entirely outside traditional banking.
However, easier access to the application process does not mean automatic approval. Crypto firms seeking national charters will still face OCC reviews covering financial strength, management, risk controls, compliance and the safety and soundness of their proposed operations.
For the crypto sector, the significance is nevertheless clear: the door to federally regulated banking is becoming increasingly accessible to digital-asset businesses that can meet those standards.
