OCC Rejects Senator Warren’s Request to Delay WLF Bank Charter Review Amid Trump Crypto Holdings Concerns
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) will proceed with its review of World Liberty Financial's bank charter application despite Senator Elizabeth Warren's request for delay. The Massachusetts Democrat raised concerns about President Trump's undisclosed holdings in a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform tied to the application.
OCC head Jonathan Gould affirmed the agency's commitment to a neutral evaluation process, stating political considerations wouldn't influence the decision. "The OCC's charter application process should be neutral and nonpartisan," Gould declared in a January 23 statement, directly rejecting Warren's intervention.
This development highlights growing tensions between regulators and lawmakers regarding cryptocurrency's role in traditional finance. The WLF case emerges as a litmus test for institutional adoption of blockchain-based financial services, particularly those with political sensitivities.