The U.S. OCC released a report on de-banking, listing cryptocurrency activities within the scope of banking restrictions

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released a report on de-banking on Wednesday, pointing out that some banks had established "public and non-public policies" to restrict services to multiple industries, including oil and gas, tobacco, firearms, and digital assets. This report was issued based on an executive order signed by President Trump in August 2025, aimed at preventing what it calls "illegal de-banking" practices.

The OCC stated that many institutions also imposed restrictions on digital asset businesses, involving issuers, exchanges, or management agencies, often citing financial crime considerations as justification. However, this 47-page report did not provide specific de-banking cases related to digital asset activities. The OCC noted that based on a review of nine large banks, it "could not fully quantify the overall scale of de-banking or alleged de-banking activities," with the agency's head, Jonathan Gould, primarily discussing claims of de-banking related to coal and firearms.

Gould stated that these decisions were not based on financial risk; banks cited concerns about negative news, public protests, and the potential reputational consequences of supporting related industries. In November 2024, more than 30 executives from the technology and cryptocurrency industries claimed they were denied banking services, informally referring to it as "Operation Chokepoint 2." Trump's executive order in 2025 came after industry-related calls, following allegations that the Biden administration might influence financial institutions to cut off certain services to cryptocurrency companies.