Daily Observation of Encryption Policy: The U.S. OCC Revives the "New Charter" System, Opening the Doors of National Banks to Digital Asset Institutions
Released on August 13, 2026. The integration of the U.S. banking industry and the digital asset industry has reached a breakthrough moment. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced that it will prioritize revitalizing the "de novo chartering" banking system, clearly encouraging the establishment of new banks. OCC Director Jonathan V. Gould has also made a rare statement in support of emerging technology institutions involving digital assets obtaining U.S. national bank charters. This forward-looking policy sets the tone and paves the highest legal path for crypto giants to enter the traditional compliant financial system.
Revitalizing "De Novo Charter": OCC Releases Signals for Banking Expansion
After a long period of conservative defense in the financial system, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), one of the highest regulatory agencies in the U.S. federal banking system, is actively seeking change.
The OCC officially announced that it will continue to prioritize and revitalize the "de novo chartering" banking system. This system aims to break the oligopolistic deadlock of traditional banking by reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, encouraging compliant new entities to apply for and establish entirely new national commercial banks, thereby injecting new vitality into the U.S. financial market.
Embracing Emerging Technologies: Digital Asset Enterprises Welcome the Dawn of "National Licenses"
Among the policy announcements, the most exciting for the crypto market is undoubtedly the OCC leadership's clear acceptance of Web3 and digital asset institutions.
OCC Director Jonathan V. Gould pointedly stated in a public announcement: "Entities engaged in legally permissible activities, including those involving digital assets and other emerging technologies, should have a pathway to become a national bank in the United States." He further emphasized, "The United States and the OCC are once again opening their doors, welcoming all parties to discuss business." This means that those with substantial on-chain balance sheets and compliance clearing capabilities, such as leading exchanges and stablecoin issuers, could potentially apply for a "de novo charter" license to legally transform into U.S. national banks directly protected by federal law.
The Ultimate Milestone in the Integration of Traditional Finance and Web3
Considering the regulatory trends in Washington in mid-August, this statement from the OCC can be regarded as an important milestone in the compliance process of digital assets. For a long time, crypto institutions have often had to rely on extremely fragile state-level trust licenses or collaborate with third-party community banks, constantly facing the risk of unilateral account shutdowns (the so-called "de-banking"). If the OCC can substantively promote digital asset institutions to obtain national bank charters, it not only means that crypto assets will be fully integrated into the mainstream currency clearing system but also indicates that a number of "native crypto banks" will officially rise on Wall Street in the second half of 2026.
Source: https://bbx.com/ Crypto Concept Stock Information Database, compiled based on global public company announcements and SEC/TSE disclosure documents from last weekend.
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