# Custody Related Articles

HTX News Center provides the latest articles and in-depth analysis on "Custody", covering market trends, project updates, tech developments, and regulatory policies in the crypto industry.

Circle Obtains a "Federal Infrastructure License" for Stablecoins: The Deep Meaning Behind the OCC's Final Approval of Circle National Trust

Circle has received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Circle National Trust, a federally regulated national trust bank. This marks the first time a stablecoin issuer has entered the core U.S. financial regulatory system as a federal trust bank. Initially, the entity will focus on providing digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliates, with plans to potentially offer reserve management in the future. This approval provides significant federal regulatory credibility, moving USDC towards becoming a "digitally native dollar settlement infrastructure." It strengthens Circle's ability to build a vertically integrated stablecoin platform encompassing issuance, custody, and settlement. The move signals a shift in the stablecoin competitive landscape—from simply issuing tokens to controlling federally supervised infrastructure. It enhances the role of stablecoins like USDC in payment settlements, particularly for cross-border transactions, by offering greater regulatory certainty for institutional adoption. Competitors like Coinbase and Paxos are also pursuing similar trust bank charters, highlighting the race to control the future infrastructure for digital dollar transactions.

链捕手07/12 07:26

Circle Obtains a "Federal Infrastructure License" for Stablecoins: The Deep Meaning Behind the OCC's Final Approval of Circle National Trust

链捕手07/12 07:26

Fidelity Solana ETF Filing Keeps Custody Questions At The Centre Of The SOL Fund Race

The race for a spot Solana ETF is shifting focus from speculation to practical operational details, with a new filing highlighting custody as a central and unresolved challenge. As asset managers like VanEck and Bitwise join the competition, the conversation is moving toward the technical and regulatory frameworks required for approval, similar to the path taken for Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. Custody credibility—how the underlying SOL tokens are securely held and controlled—is a critical hurdle given Solana's distinct technical and regulatory profile. For investors, key signals to watch will be SEC responses, detailed custody disclosures, and language around staking or market surveillance, rather than headline enthusiasm. This development represents a concrete step in Solana's institutionalization, but its ultimate impact depends on subsequent regulatory and market follow-through.

bitcoinist07/10 21:51

Fidelity Solana ETF Filing Keeps Custody Questions At The Centre Of The SOL Fund Race

bitcoinist07/10 21:51

Circle secures final OCC approval for national trust bank to strengthen USDC infrastructure

Circle has received final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Circle National Trust, a federally regulated national trust bank. This marks a key regulatory milestone, bringing core parts of the company's USDC stablecoin infrastructure under direct federal oversight. The new bank will initially provide digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliates, with a pathway to serve institutional clients and potentially manage the USDC reserve in the future. The approval advances Circle from the conditional stage it reached alongside other crypto firms in late 2025. This move reflects a broader trend of integrating crypto infrastructure into the existing U.S. banking framework through national trust charters, which specialize in custody and fiduciary services rather than traditional lending.

ambcrypto07/10 14:09

Circle secures final OCC approval for national trust bank to strengthen USDC infrastructure

ambcrypto07/10 14:09

Vanguard Group Enters the Arena, Opening a New Crypto Portal for 50 Million Traditional Investors

Vanguard Group, the world's second-largest asset manager with $12 trillion in assets under management and over 50 million investors, has signaled a significant strategic shift by posting a job opening for a "Head of Digital Assets, Personal Wealth." The role entails developing a comprehensive digital asset strategy, establishing long-term plans, and overseeing the full integration of digital assets into Vanguard's wealth management platform, covering areas like custody, settlement, asset tokenization, and stablecoins. This move marks a notable reversal from the firm's previous stance. In 2024, Vanguard refused to list spot Bitcoin ETFs and removed Bitcoin futures products. By late 2025, it allowed some third-party crypto ETF trading but reiterated it would not create its own crypto funds. The new hire represents a third step: building an internal team to integrate digital assets into its core infrastructure, moving beyond merely listing products. The initiative focuses on foundational financial infrastructure—how tokenized assets and digital settlement systems can connect to Vanguard's existing platform, which primarily serves long-term, conservative investors. While Vanguard maintains it will not launch proprietary crypto ETFs, it is proactively preparing its systems for a future involving tokenized assets and stablecoins, which Citigroup projects could reach a $5.5 trillion market by 2030. Vanguard's scale means its chosen standards for custody, settlement, and compliance could set de facto rules for the broader wealth management industry. The firm is acting despite regulatory uncertainty and cautious market sentiment (e.g., Citi recently lowered crypto price targets). Analysts suggest even a minimal 0.01% allocation from Vanguard's asset base would bring ~$12 billion into digital assets, forcing the development of robust risk and operational frameworks. Ultimately, Vanguard's focus is on building the plumbing for digital assets to potentially serve its vast client base, an effort whose impact may extend far beyond any single market cycle.

Foresight News07/09 09:41

Vanguard Group Enters the Arena, Opening a New Crypto Portal for 50 Million Traditional Investors

Foresight News07/09 09:41

Bitcoin miner Riot’s 500 BTC transfer sparks sell-off fears – Correction possible IF…

Riot Platforms transferred 500 BTC (approx. $30.7M) to NYDIG Custody, sparking sell-off speculation. However, this movement alone does not confirm a sale, as it could be routine treasury management. The company's Bitcoin reserves have decreased from 19,368 BTC at the end of 2025 to 15,680 BTC, following sales earlier in 2026. This trend is mirrored by other major miners like Hut 8, Mara Holdings, and Core Scientific, who have also reduced their BTC holdings. The article links these reserve adjustments to changing mining dynamics in 2026. After a profitable late-2025 period, Bitcoin's price drop from over $120,000 to around $65,000, combined with high network hashrate and mining difficulty, created a financial squeeze. This has led to less efficient miners shutting down equipment and financially stable firms actively managing their Bitcoin reserves rather than simply holding them. The overall network hashrate has declined from its peak, putting constant pressure on mining profitability.

ambcrypto07/03 11:02

Bitcoin miner Riot’s 500 BTC transfer sparks sell-off fears – Correction possible IF…

ambcrypto07/03 11:02

UK Crypto Regulation Enters Countdown: What Changes Are in the FCA's New Rules?

UK Crypto Regulation Enters Countdown: Key Changes in FCA's New Rules The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published its final crypto asset regulatory policy, marking a shift from consultation to implementation. The new regime, set to fully expand from October 25, 2027, moves crypto businesses from registration to authorisation. A critical window from September 30, 2026, to February 28, 2027, allows existing firms to apply for transitional provisions, enabling them to continue operating while their authorisation is reviewed. Existing registrations will not automatically convert. The rules cover a broad range of activities including stablecoin issuance, custody, trading platform operation, arranging deals, staking, and lending. Authorised firms must meet new prudential capital requirements, with permanent minimum capital ranging from £750,000 for proprietary trading to £75,000 for arranging deals. They must also hold a basic liquid asset buffer for operational resilience. Market integrity rules now apply to trading platforms and intermediaries, covering areas like insider trading and requiring best execution checks against at least three UK-authorised venues. Custodians face enhanced client asset protection rules (CASS 17), focusing on ownership, reconciliation, and private key management. For stablecoins, issuers must provide full backing from issuance and allow redemption at par value within a T+1 timeframe. Reserve assets are categorised into core (e.g., demand deposits) and expanded types, with specific liquidity requirements (ODDR and CBAR) to ensure redemption capacity. Systemically important stablecoin issuers may be jointly regulated by the FCA and the Bank of England. The FCA cautions that the rules do not eliminate the high-risk, speculative nature of most crypto assets but establish a more comprehensive financial regulatory framework for the industry.

Foresight News07/02 09:16

UK Crypto Regulation Enters Countdown: What Changes Are in the FCA's New Rules?

Foresight News07/02 09:16

Chainlink Nears 900,000 Holder Addresses As LINK Leaves Exchanges

Chainlink is nearing a significant milestone of 900,000 holder addresses for its LINK token, with data showing over 8,000 new addresses added in late June. This growth, while not equivalent to unique human holders, indicates a broadening token distribution and increased wallet-level interest. Concurrently, observed outflows of LINK from centralized exchanges suggest more tokens are moving into private custody, potentially reducing immediate sell-side pressure. For Chainlink, a key crypto infrastructure project, a expanding and committed holder base supports its perception as a fundamental asset rather than a speculative token. While these on-chain trends point to accumulation and healthier distribution, they do not guarantee a price breakout but create a constructive backdrop for long-term holder confidence. The stronger signal for LINK would be the continuation of address growth alongside steady exchange withdrawals.

bitcoinist07/01 21:37

Chainlink Nears 900,000 Holder Addresses As LINK Leaves Exchanges

bitcoinist07/01 21:37

Baillie Gifford Tokenized Bond Fund Adds To Solana And Ethereum RWA Race

Baillie Gifford, a major traditional asset manager, is reportedly planning a regulated tokenized bond fund utilizing public blockchain infrastructure from Solana and Ethereum, with custody support from BNY. This development underscores the growing institutional trend of tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs), particularly bonds, which are seen as a natural fit due to their potential for improved settlement efficiency, transparency, and programmable distribution. The move highlights the competition between blockchain platforms like Ethereum, valued for institutional familiarity, and Solana, known for speed and low costs. The story reinforces tokenized funds as a key convergence point for traditional finance and crypto, driven by practical infrastructure benefits rather than speculation. While not an isolated price catalyst, it provides another data point in the broader market shift towards regulated, blockchain-based financial products.

bitcoinist06/25 21:02

Baillie Gifford Tokenized Bond Fund Adds To Solana And Ethereum RWA Race

bitcoinist06/25 21:02

White-Label Stablecoins: More Than Just a Logo Change

"White-Label Stablecoins: Beyond a Logo Change" The article clarifies the often-misunderstood concept of "white-label stablecoins," which refers to businesses leveraging established providers like Circle or Coinbase to offer stablecoin functionality under their own brand. It details four distinct models, emphasizing that this is not a simple branding exercise but involves complex legal and operational responsibilities split across issuance, reserves, custody, and distribution. The four primary models are: 1. **Circle xReserve**: Enables blockchains (L1/L2) to launch their own stablecoin backed 1:1 by USDC locked in a Circle smart contract. The chain deploys and operates the token contract. 2. **Circle Partner Stablecoins**: Connects existing regional stablecoin issuers to Circle's global payment and liquidity network (e.g., StableFX). The local issuer remains responsible for issuance, reserves, and compliance. 3. **Circle Digital Asset Accounts**: Provides businesses with branded digital asset accounts where users hold established stablecoins (like USDC). Circle handles custody, conversion, and compliance; the business manages the front-end user experience. 4. **Coinbase Custom Stablecoins**: The model closest to a true "white-label" stablecoin. Coinbase manages the issuance, reserves, smart contracts, and redemption for a new, custom-branded stablecoin (e.g., Flipcash's USDF), while the partner business handles branding, distribution, and user-facing scenarios. The article stresses that legal and regulatory risks depend heavily on the specific model and the partner's role. Key concerns include clear user disclosure about the issuer and redemption rights, managing consumer perceptions, careful structuring of any revenue-sharing or yield features, and navigating local regulatory frameworks for payments, distribution, and marketing—responsibilities that cannot be outsourced simply by using a "white-label" service.

marsbit06/23 08:38

Banking Giants Battle in the Tokenization Arena: Who Will Take the Lead?

**Banking Titans Battle in Tokenization: Who Leads the Pack?** Four major banks—JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and BNY Mellon—are heavily investing in tokenization infrastructure but have adopted distinct strategic paths. This analysis compares them across four key dimensions: verified transaction volume, product breadth, regulatory compliance, and underlying infrastructure model. JPMorgan's Onyx network stands out with over $1 trillion in cumulative cleared transaction volume, focusing deeply on niche areas like tokenized collateral management and intraday repo settlement. However, its closed private network limits market reach. Goldman Sachs Digital Assets Platform (GS DAP) leads in product diversity, having executed tokenized bond issuances for sovereign entities and supranational organizations, and launched tokenized money market funds. It is also a founding member of the Canton Network, a shared ledger for institutions, though its overall cleared volume is less publicly disclosed than JPMorgan's. HSBC's Orion platform carves a niche in cross-border tokenized securities and sustainable finance, exemplified by its tokenized gold product and its role in large-scale digital green bond issuances for the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Its global network provides a unique advantage in Asia and emerging markets. BNY Mellon, as the world's largest custodian, plays a fundamentally different role by providing essential custody and asset servicing infrastructure for digital assets, notably supporting the Canton Network. It does not actively issue front-end tokenized products. In summary, no single bank dominates all fronts. JPMorgan leads in scale, Goldman in product breadth, HSBC in global cross-border positioning, and BNY Mellon in foundational custody services. The market is likely to see multiple parallel development paths. A key future challenge is avoiding fragmentation; the success of interoperability standards like those within Canton Network will be crucial to realizing blockchain's full efficiency gains across the entire financial ecosystem. The next 5-10 years will reveal which institution builds the most enduring competitive moat.

Foresight News06/17 09:13

Banking Giants Battle in the Tokenization Arena: Who Will Take the Lead?