The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has issued an interim final rule that restores streamlined and expedited regulatory procedures to review applications under the Bank Merger Act for business combinations...more
The OCC has reiterated that certain crypto-related activities—crypto-asset custody, distributed ledger, and stablecoin activities—previously determined to be permissible remain so. The OCC has also rescinded a Biden-era...more
There is no question that the Trump Administration is taking a markedly different approach to crypto regulation compared to the Biden Administration. The turning of the tide began when the White House nominated former PayPal...more
3/10/2025
/ Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FinTech ,
Fraud ,
Regulation A ,
Safe Harbors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Tokenization
Recent announcements by Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) and X might signal that financial modernization may have finally reached a tipping point. With the right regulatory environment, fintechs and other new market...more
2/6/2025
/ Bitcoin ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Fintech Charter ,
OCC ,
Payment Systems ,
Popular
On January 21, 2025, Acting SEC Chairman Mark Uyeda announced the creation of a crypto Task Force dedicated to developing a "comprehensive and clear regulatory framework for crypto assets." Acting Chairman Uyeda tasked...more
1/30/2025
/ CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Executive Orders ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinTech ,
Pilot Programs ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Regulation ,
Trump Administration
The Trump Administration has embarked on a fundamental shift on how the United States approaches digital assets—in marked contrast with the Biden Administration's policies—likely changing the prospects of the crypto market in...more
1/27/2025
/ Biden Administration ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Congressional Review Act ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Crimes ,
Digital Assets ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Reserve ,
FinTech ,
Liquidity ,
National Security ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
The federal banking agencies under a second Trump Administration are expected to be more receptive to industry proposals geared toward growth. We've previously explored national trust banks to streamline state licensing....more
1/10/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Compliance ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinTech ,
Foreign Investment ,
OCC ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Trump Administration
In the absence of modern charters and licenses, payments companies and other fintechs—both established financial services providers and new market entrants—must generally obtain 50+ money transmitter and possibly other state...more
11/25/2024
/ Bank Holding Company Act ,
Banks ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Deposit Insurance ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Licenses ,
National Bank Act ,
National Bank Charters ,
OCC ,
Payment Systems ,
Popular ,
Virtual Currency
As part of a larger effort to address risks related to third-party deposit relationships, on October 2, 2024, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced and published a notice of proposed rulemaking (Proposed...more