Ripple, Circle, Fidelity Among 6 Crypto Giants Racing for US Bank Charter

A wave of institutional crypto adoption is accelerating as six digital asset banks await federal charters, poised to unlock nationwide operations under dramatically loosened OCC oversight.

Federal Greenlight Incoming? 6 Crypto Banks Await OCC ApprovalSix firms seeking to offer digital asset services have submitted applications for a national bank charter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), with their filings currently listed as pending licensing applications on the agency’s website. These entries, shown in an OCC-maintained table, underscore the rising interest among crypto-related firms and digital asset divisions of established financial companies to operate under a federal banking license. The filings reflect an effort by theindustry to align with national regulatory structures as digital asset services seek broader legitimacy.

Bitgo Bank & Trust, National Association submitted the most recent application on July 14. Ripple National Trust Bank filed on July 2, and First National Digital Currency Bank, N.A.—a proposed national trust bank that Circle Internet Group is seeking to establish—applied on June 30. Other submissions include Erebor Bank, N.A. on June 12, Fidelity Digital Assets, N.A. on June 11, and National Digital Trust Co. on May 28.