TechFlow news, December 9 — According to Cointelegraph, Jonathan Gould, Comptroller of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), stated that cryptocurrency firms seeking a federal banking charter should be treated equally with other financial institutions.
Gould said at a blockchain conference on Monday that there is "absolutely no reason to treat digital assets differently," emphasizing that custody and custodial services have existed in electronic form for decades. He added that the banking system has the capacity to "evolve from telegraphs to blockchain," and entities engaging in digital asset activities should have a pathway to become federally regulated banks.
It is reported that the OCC has received 14 new bank applications this year, including several entities involved in novel or digital asset activities—nearly equaling the total number of applications received over the past four years. Currently, only two crypto-native banks have obtained OCC charters: Anchorage Digital, which received its license in 2021, and Erebor, which obtained preliminary approval in October.
