Crypto.com: Now Officially a Bank, Minus the Free Toaster

Well, slap my wallet and call me a hodler-Crypto.com has apparently convinced the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) that it’s ready to play grown-up with the big banks. The company has received conditional approval to establish a national trust bank, which I’m sure will be just as trustworthy as a used car salesman with a heart of gold. The bank, creatively named Crypto.com National Trust Bank, will operate under the assumption that “full authorization” is just a formality, like tipping your barista after they spell your name wrong.

Crypto.com: Because Compliance is the New Black

Kris Marszalek, the Co‑Founder and CEO of Crypto.com, described this development as a testament to the company’s commitment to regulatory compliance and customer protection. Because nothing says “we care about you” like wrapping yourself in the bureaucratic equivalent of a straitjacket. Marszalek claims this will make them a “one‑stop shop” for all your crypto needs, operating under the “gold standard of federal supervision.” I’m sure the gold standard includes a 24/7 hotline for when your assets vanish into the blockchain ether.

The company plans to offer custody, asset staking, and trade settlement services-basically, everything you’d expect from a bank, but with more buzzwords and fewer physical branches. Oh, and they’ll do it all within a “regulated framework,” which is just a fancy way of saying “we’re trying not to get sued.”

But let’s not forget, Crypto.com isn’t the only one crashing this financial party. The OCC has been handing out national trust charters like Halloween candy, with Circle, Ripple, BitGo, Fidelity, and Paxos all getting their golden tickets. Most recently, Stripe’s stablecoin arm, Bridge, also joined the club. It’s like a crypto version of the Avengers, but instead of saving the world, they’re just trying to process payments faster.

Of course, traditional banks are less than thrilled. The American Bankers Association (ABA) has called on the OCC to hit pause on these approvals, citing concerns about the regulatory framework tied to the GENIUS Act. Because nothing screams “innovation” like a bunch of old-school bankers demanding more paperwork. The ABA also warned about the risks of uninsured trust banks focused on digital assets, including cybersecurity threats and the ever-popular “what happens when it all goes wrong?” scenario.

Meanwhile, the crypto world keeps chugging along. World Liberty Financial is also jumping on the bandwagon, filing an application for a national trust bank centered on stablecoin operations. Because if there’s one thing the world needs more of, it’s banks built on digital money that’s supposed to be stable but isn’t.

Crypto.com token performance chart

As for Crypto.com’s native token, CRO, it’s currently trading at $0.074, down 20% this month. But hey, at least they’re not a bank yet-imagine how much worse it could be.

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2026-02-24 09:21