OCC Advocates Equal Treatment for Crypto Banks Amid Regulatory Shift
The Acting Comptroller of the Currency, Michael Gould, has called for parity between crypto banks and traditional financial institutions during a blockchain conference. Custody and safekeeping services, long conducted electronically, should not disqualify digital asset firms from equal regulatory treatment, he argued. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has already licensed two crypto banks—Anchorage Digital and Erebor—with more approvals expected.
Financial watchdogs initially viewed crypto firms as systemic risks but have since revised their stance. The OCC now recognizes earlier concerns as speculative, paving the way for broader adoption of crypto banking charters. This shift reflects a growing institutional acknowledgment of digital assets' role in modern finance.
