Catenaa, Monday, February 02, 2026-Laser Digital, the digital assets arm of Japanese banking group Nomura, has applied for a US national trust bank charter as crypto firms move to bring operations under federal banking oversight.
The application was filed with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, according to a report published Tuesday.
If approved, the charter would allow Laser Digital to operate nationwide without obtaining separate state custody licenses.
The structure would permit custody and trading services while stopping short of accepting retail deposits. The firm is also expected to offer spot cryptocurrency trading under the charter.
The move comes as crypto and fintech firms accelerate efforts to establish federally regulated entities in the US, encouraged by a more permissive policy environment in Washington.
Firms pursuing national trust charters seek to consolidate trading, custody, and settlement operations onshore under a single regulatory framework.
The OCC typically issues conditional approvals for national trust bank charters. Applicants must meet requirements related to capital levels, governance structures, risk controls, and compliance before receiving final authorization to begin operations.
Laser Digital joins a growing list of crypto-focused firms seeking similar approvals. Earlier this month, Trump-backed World Liberty Financial said it is pursuing a national trust charter to support issuance and redemption of its USD1 stablecoin through a federally regulated entity.
Other firms that have received conditional approval from the OCC include Circle, Ripple, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos. Those companies are positioned to operate as federally regulated trust banks once final conditions are satisfied.
