Nomura-backed crypto firm Laser Digital is taking a big regulatory step, applying for a US banking licence as it looks to bring more of its digital-asset business inside the traditional financial system.
The Financial Times reported that Laser Digital filed an application on Tuesday with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), seeking a national bank trust charter. The move would give the firm a single federal framework, rather than forcing it to secure custody approvals state by state.
Laser Digital, which Nomura spun out in 2022, plans to offer spot trading in digital assets under the structure. The firm does not intend to take customer deposits, according to the report.
The filing comes as crypto and fintech firms test a noticeably warmer regulatory climate in Washington under President Donald Trump. Charter applications have picked up as companies look to pull payments, custody and stablecoin activity into a federal regulatory perimeter.
A long road through the OCC
Winning an OCC charter is rarely quick. The process typically unfolds in two stages — conditional approval followed by final sign-off — once regulators are satisfied the applicant has sufficient capital and operational controls. From start to finish, the review can stretch well beyond a year.
That marks a shift from the previous administration, when many applicants struggled to get past the first hurdle, and some ultimately walked away rather than endure a prolonged review.
Not alone in the queue
Laser Digital isn’t the only firm making a move. Earlier this month, Trump-linked World Liberty Financial said its subsidiary had applied for an OCC national trust bank charter tied to stablecoin operations.
Elsewhere, Revolut has also adjusted its US strategy, dropping plans to acquire a US lender and instead preparing a bid for a standalone banking licence.
Momentum spreads beyond crypto
The push for new banking charters isn’t limited to fintech. The FDIC recently approved deposit insurance applications from Ford and General Motors, clearing a path for the automakers to set up industrial banks in Utah.
At the OCC, a new leadership team is now in place, with Jonathan V. Gould sworn in as Comptroller of the Currency in July 2025 — a change that appears to be encouraging more applications.
The data underline the shift. Law firm Freshfields said the OCC received 14 de novo charter applications in 2025 for limited-purpose national trust banks, nearly matching the total from the previous four years combined.
