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The entity can now issue payment stablecoins that are within the framework of the Clarity law.
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Other companies in the ecosystem already have a banking license, such as Ripple and Paxos.
The bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com obtained approval from the United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish its own trust bank, the Crypto.com National Trust Bank.
This authorization allows the entity to function as a national trust bank, operating under a framework of federal supervision. The approval process by the OCC took approximately four months, considering that the formal application was submitted by the company in October 2025, as reported by NoticiasVE.
With this license, the organization seeks to establish itself as a qualified custodian of choice for large capitals. The banking structure will allow it to offer specialized services that include the custody and staking of assets in various digital currency networks and protocols, including the exchange’s own network, Cronos, and its homonymous crypto asset, CRO; as well as commercial liquidation processes.
Kris Marszalek, co-founder and CEO of Crypto.com, noted that this development responds to the need for financial institutions to have a custodian that operates under the “gold standard” of federal supervision. The main objective is to serve digital asset treasuries, issuers of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and institutional investors that require high-level legal guarantees.
“This conditional approval is the latest testament to both our commitment to compliance and providing customers with the reliable and secure services they have come to expect from Crypto.com. (…) It is an important step to meet the needs of major institutions for a comprehensive qualified custodian under a gold standard of federal supervision,” he noted.
It is important to note that this conditional approval does not affect the current operations of Crypto.com Custody Trust Companywhich continues to operate as a non-custodiary trust company regulated by the New Hampshire Department of Banking.
A technical aspect of this license is the entity’s ability to interact with new legal frameworks. By becoming a federally licensed institution, you are enabled to issue payment stablecoins that strictly conform to the parameters of the Clarity law.
This move positions the company in a competitive situation similar to that of other firms in the sector, such as Ripple, which completed the processes to obtain a banking license from the OCC in order to strengthen its payments and custody infrastructure.
Crypto.com National Trust Bank is estimated to complete the final OCC requirements to begin full operations, which would mark a new stage in the regulatory maturation of cryptoasset-based financial services in the United States.
Crypto.com currently ranks 11th among the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume, which is around $1.52 billion daily.