More than 12 cryptocurrency and fintech companies, including Coinbase, Ripple, and Circle, have applied for national trust bank charters from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) since December 2025. This move aims to provide these firms with a unified federal regulatory framework, reducing their dependence on external banking partners. Notably, Kraken's parent company, Payward, is seeking to establish Payward National Trust Company to offer bank-grade crypto custody services. While Anchorage Digital Bank remains the only fully operational national trust bank, most applicants are still in the conditional approval phase. The OCC emphasizes that integrating new financial services into the federal banking system benefits consumers and the economy. However, access to the Federal Reserve's payment infrastructure remains a challenge, as officials are yet to finalize a framework for simplified account structures.