GoKawiilCoinbase wins OCC approval for national trust bank charter
The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has approved Coinbase's application to become a nationally chartered trust bank, the company announced. The charter is narrower than a full banking license, meaning Coinbase cannot take deposits or issue loans, but it allows the firm to offer payments and custody services and grow its stablecoin operations. Coinbase joins Circle Internet Group and Ripple as the only crypto firms to secure such a charter, after other companies like Block and Wise also sought it.
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The charter could give Coinbase a more unified federal regulatory framework instead of a patchwork of state licenses, potentially easing expansion of custody and stablecoin services such as its existing partnership with Citigroup. Coinbase frames the move as advancing US leadership in digital assets, suggesting it hopes to position itself as a standard-bearer for regulated crypto infrastructure. The approval comes despite the company's history of regulatory disputes, including SEC lawsuits and a $100 million settlement with New York, which may invite scrutiny of how its past conduct squares with its new trusted status.
- Coinbase received OCC approval to operate as a nationally chartered trust bank.
- The charter permits custody and payment services and stablecoin expansion, but not deposits or loans.
- Coinbase joins Circle and Ripple as one of few crypto firms with this designation, despite past SEC lawsuits and a $100 million NY settlement.
Source: engadget.com — Steve Dent, 2026-11-09
Published there as: “Coinbase receives approval to become a chartered trust bank”
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