The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has confirmed that nationally chartered banks can act as intermediaries for crypto trading.
This clears the path that pulls digital assets deeper into the regulated core of the banking system. The guidance does not turn every bank into a crypto exchange overnight, but it removes a long‑standing excuse for sitting on the sidelines.
OCC Greenlights US Banks as Crypto Intermediaries
Under the clarification, U.S. banks may route customer crypto orders to third‑party venues, provide agency execution, and sit in the middle of fiat–to‑crypto flows, as long as they follow existing rules on custody, brokerage, and third‑party risk. In practice, this means a bank can take a client instruction to buy or sell Bitcoin, Ether, or other approved assets and pass that order through to a partner platform while handling settlement, record‑keeping, and compliance.
The OCC ties this activity to familiar banking functions rather than inventing a separate category. Crypto order‑flow intermediation falls under established standards for securities and FX agency services, with the same expectations around best execution, conflict management, and clear disclosure of fees and counterparties. Banks that choose to step in must demonstrate they understand the technology and volatility risks, and that boards and risk committees have formally signed off.
Regulatory Context
The agency also makes clear that nothing about the green light softens expectations on anti–money laundering controls, sanctions screening, or consumer protection. Banks must run full KYC on clients, monitor crypto transactions with appropriate tools, and document how they vet and supervise any external platforms that actually execute trades or hold assets. If a partner exchange blows up, regulators will ask hard questions about the bank’s due diligence and ongoing monitoring.
For institutions already dabbling in crypto, the confirmation reduces legal ambiguity around acting as a front‑end for digital‑asset exposure rather than forcing clients to move funds to offshore or unregulated apps. For more conservative players, it sets a bar: if they cannot build the risk, tech, and vendor‑management stack to meet OCC expectations, the guidance implicitly tells them to stay out.
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