OpenReserve received preliminary approval from the National Bank of All Services and must raise $210 million while maintaining a 12% Tier 1 leverage ratio

Blockchain-native fintech startup OpenReserve has received preliminary conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a full-service national bank in Salt Lake City, Utah. The approval process took less than five months, with OpenReserve submitting its application on April 13.

OpenReserve must raise at least $210 million in initial paid-in capital within 12 months and maintain a leverage ratio of at least 12% for three years after opening; it must also commence operations within 18 months, or the approval will become invalid. The relevant deadlines are September 2027 and March 2028, respectively. OpenReserve plans to offer tokenized deposits, fund management, foreign agency services, and banking-as-a-service for institutional clients. The full-service national bank license will allow for deposit-taking and lending activities once final approval is granted.

OpenReserve previously completed a $25 million seed round financing, led by a16z crypto, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Jump Capital, and Wintermute Ventures. The company intends to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary to issue and redeem dollar-denominated, reserve-backed stablecoins, but this subsidiary has not yet submitted an application to the OCC.