OCC conditionally approves licenses for five institutional trust banks, marking a new phase of compliance in crypto finance

2025-12-12 17:04:12

[BlockBeats] Heavy News on December 13: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has conditionally approved trust bank licenses for five institutions: Ripple, BitGo, DigitalAssets, Paxos, and Circle.

What does “conditional approval” mean? It sounds complicated, but it’s actually a transitional stage—OCC has reviewed the application materials and determined that these companies are basically qualified in capital adequacy, risk management, and business planning, but they cannot operate directly yet. They must complete each regulatory requirement as specified before upgrading to full operation.

What can this license ultimately do? Once all conditions are met, OCC will issue the final national trust bank license. At that point, these institutions can truly function as trust banks—managing user assets as trustees, handling payments and settlements, custody digital assets (such as reserves for stablecoins), and providing related financial services. It sounds powerful, but there’s a key restriction: a trust bank license ≠ full-service bank, meaning they cannot accept deposits or make loans.

But don’t underestimate this restriction. Once licensed, these institutions can directly apply for a Federal Reserve main account, which means what? Direct connection to the traditional financial system, faster clearing, and significantly reduced costs. This is what the crypto industry has been pursuing for years—not to bypass regulation, but to truly integrate into the traditional financial system.

OCC’s move marks a step for US regulators from “cryptocurrency vigilance” to “orderly inclusion.” For the entire Web3 ecosystem, this is a step toward building trust.

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OfflineNewbie

· 2025-12-15 16:05

Five institutions have obtained conditional approval. This wave is indeed quite interesting, but the process of regulatory approval still needs to be completed to be considered valid. Wait, can Ripple use this opportunity to shake off SEC's entanglement this time? I just want to see who can be the first to take a bite out of the stablecoin reserve. Conditional approval is still conditional; don't celebrate too early. Compliance is also a trap these days. Just hearing the names Paxos and Circle tells you they've been on this path for a while. Actually, this is the real "move towards compliance," right? Much more reliable than those who just shout Web3 every day.

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On-ChainDiver

· 2025-12-14 14:00

Conditional approval essentially still means hanging in the balance; they need to pass each regulatory checkpoint one by one. Wait, does this mean that the stablecoin asset custody is finally going to have an official player? All five have been approved, this is serious... Looks like the OCC is finally loosening up. The licensing threshold isn't low; let's just wait and see who can truly get through. A new phase of compliance? I think they're just starting to write the code. Are Paxos and Circle's stablecoin teams about to take off? Conditional = not fully won yet, don't get too excited. The US has finally taken crypto finance seriously; the landscape is changing. Once the trust bank license is obtained, stablecoins will truly have a backing. Among these five, who is most likely to get a full license first? OCC's move was clever—regulate while embracing innovation. Waiting to see who can meet all the conditions and upgrade first.

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ThatsNotARugPull

· 2025-12-12 17:26

Conditional approval just means it hasn't been fully implemented yet, but at least it's a step forward. Now Ripple can finally breathe a sigh of relief, but the pile of regulatory issues will probably still give them a hard time. The real goal is to obtain a trust bank license, so they can legitimately manage assets. The approval of all five indicates that the OCC's attitude is indeed softening, but the real game is just beginning. There are many conditions, and full operation might still be some time away. This is good news for stablecoin custody, but don't get carried away with the hype. Circle and Paxos, these two stablecoin issuers, now have an advantage. Having a regulatory pathway is definitely better than having none; compliance is the right direction.

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GasWastingMaximalist

· 2025-12-12 17:20

Five institutions received conditional approval. To put it simply, it's still necessary to keep pushing forward. Wait, is Circle and Paxos involved too? Stablecoins are about to take off. The term "conditional" means the bank is saying "wait a bit." I bet five bucks we’ll have to keep troubleshooting for another two months. Finally, someone is going to properly manage the reserves for stablecoins. Those previous opaque operations need to be brought under control. Another round of promises, but no idea when they will truly be operational—US regulation is always so slow. The question is, after becoming compliant, will the transaction fees double? That's the real concern, friends. BitGo finally can breathe a sigh of relief; they were heavily criticized before. As long as it's not fully approved yet, don't get too excited. Risk management is the most likely point to get stuck. So, should I buy Ripple now for a dip, or keep watching?

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CryptoComedian

· 2025-12-12 17:15

Smiling and then crying, five institutions have conditional approval, but there's still more homework to do. --- Having a condition means not truly entering the market yet, just like signing up for a gym membership but never going. --- OCC's move this time is like giving a ticket to enter, but the key is still in their hands. --- The transition phase sounds very costly; real operations will have to wait for the story in the next quarter. --- Five companies are lining up to wait for regulatory clauses; this pace is like waiting for a restaurant to call your number.

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