- Coinbase said the OCC upgraded its trust status from conditional to a full charter.
- Its April provisional approval had allowed custodial and payments services.
- The OCC has recently granted similar trust status to other crypto firms.
Coinbase said it has received full national trust bank status from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a step that moves its earlier conditional approval to a full charter. The Coinbase charter follows provisional approval in April, when the company was allowed to provide federally regulated custodial and payments services. Coinbase said the full approval came after months of compliance work, hiring and regulatory review. The company also said the trust structure does not make it a full-service bank that takes deposits and makes loans. The Coinbase charter places one of the largest U.S. crypto businesses more deeply inside the federal trust framework.
Coinbase charter moves to full OCC status
Coinbase said the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency elevated its trust approval from conditional to full status. The company described itself as the latest crypto-native firm to secure full standing as a national trust bank under an OCC charter.
Before that change, Coinbase National Trust had received provisional approval in April. Coinbase said that earlier step allowed federally regulated custodial and payments services, but it did not allow the company to operate as a full-service bank that accepts deposits and extends loans.
Coinbase says approval followed compliance work
Coinbase said the full approval came after several months of building compliance systems, hiring needed personnel and undergoing regulatory scrutiny. The Coinbase charter was presented as the result of work to meet the conditions tied to the earlier approval.
In a statement, Vice Chairman Ryan VanGrack said the company had spent years calling for clear rules and rigorous oversight. He said the OCC approval of the Coinbase charter is another step toward integrating digital assets into the core infrastructure of the U.S. financial system.
Coinbase charter reflects a wider OCC trend
Coinbase was described as one of many crypto firms pursuing federal trust-bank status. According to the report, that trend accelerated after the GENIUS Act created a path for federal trusts to issue compliant stablecoins.
The report also said the OCC has been more open to crypto firms and stablecoins under President Donald Trump’s administration. It noted that World Liberty Financial received conditional trust status and that Ripple received a full trust charter last month.
Regulatory debate around crypto trust charters
The arrival of crypto-native firms in the U.S. banking system follows years in which federal banking, securities and derivatives regulators were resistant to that kind of entry. The report said those businesses were often treated with regulatory distrust during that period.
That policy shift is still facing opposition. The Independent Community Bankers of America has sued the OCC, arguing that the agency exceeded its authority by granting trust charters to crypto firms.
Conclusion
The Coinbase charter marks the company’s move from conditional OCC trust status to a full national trust bank charter. Coinbase said the approval followed its April provisional authorization, months of compliance work, staffing and regulatory review. The company also made clear that the trust structure is not the same as becoming a full-service bank that takes deposits and makes loans. The Coinbase charter fits into a broader OCC push to bring crypto firms into the federal trust framework, especially as stablecoin rules evolve. At the same time, the policy shift remains contested, with banking industry opponents challenging the regulator’s authority in court.
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