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ZeroHash applies for national trust bank charter to expand regulated stablecoin services

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ZeroHash applies for national trust bank charter to expand regulated stablecoin services

ZeroHash, which develops behind-the-scenes crypto infrastructure for businesses, said it applied for a National Trust Bank Charter from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), looking to operate under federal regulatory oversight.

If approved, the charter would give ZeroHash permission to issue stablecoins, custody digital assets and manage reserves under direct federal oversight. It would not be allowed to take customer deposits or engage in commercial lending.

That status could allow the Chicago-based company, which already holds licenses in 51 U.S. jurisdictions and operates internationally, to expand its stablecoin and digital asset services under a single federal framework, rather than navigating a patchwork of state-by-state rules.

ZeroHash is following a path forged by a number of other crypto companies. In the past month, several firms have received initial approval for national bank trust charters. These include Stripe’s stablecoin firm Bridge and cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com. In December, Circle Internet (CRCL), Ripple, Paxos, Fidelity Digital Assets and BitGo all received similar approvals.

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Founded in 2017, ZeroHash’s platform enables companies to embed stablecoins and digital asset functionality into services like payments, trading and payroll.

Clients include financial heavyweights like Morgan Stanley, Interactive Brokers, Stripe and Franklin Templeton.

In practical terms, a federal trust charter would let ZeroHash offer services that align with recent legislative developments, including provisions in the Genius Act, which clarifies the legal treatment of stablecoins in the U.S.

The OCC is now reviewing the application. No timeline for approval has been given.

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Crypto World

NYSE Owner ICE Invests In OKX At $25B To Expand Tokenized Stock Trading

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NYSE, Funding, United States, OKX, Tokenization

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), has invested in crypto exchange OKX at a $25 billion valuation and will take a seat on the company’s board, according to a Thursday announcement.

ICE has invested an undisclosed amount in OKX as part of its push into blockchain technology and tokenized stocks, the announcement said.

OKX will provide ICE with a live price feed of crypto assets listed on its platform. OKX will also provide access to ICE’s US futures and NYSE tokenized equities markets to its customer base of about 120 million accounts. The integration is expected to roll out in the second half of 2026.

Haider Rafique, global managing partner at OKX, said the two companies shared a strong strategic alignment in their vision for tokenization and traditional finance (TradFi).

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“There was great chemistry in how we looked at the world and the future of tokenized securities, how derivatives should make it to the global stage, how TradFi [and] digital assets should merge together,” Rafique said.

A new chapter for OKX in the US

OKX CEO Star Xu took to X to say the investment is “not an endpoint” but rather the beginning of a deeper collaboration.

He highlighted the partnership’s impact on the exchange’s approach to the US, noting that the company views its presence in the country as a “blank sheet of paper.”

The move comes nearly a year after OKX reentered the US in April 2025, along with the appointment of former Barclays director Roshan Robert as its US CEO.

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NYSE, Funding, United States, OKX, Tokenization
Source: Star Xu

The collaboration with ICE is an “opportunity to build thoughtfully, engage constructively with regulators and institutions, and contribute to the development of market infrastructure that meets the standards of the world’s most sophisticated capital markets,” Xu said.

Related: TD Securities sees NYSE tokenization as institutional turning point

ICE’s investment in OKX is the latest move by the company into the crypto industry. In January, ICE said that it was developing its own blockchain-based trading infrastructure for tokenized securities.

In November 2025, the stock exchange announced plans to invest $2 billion into the prediction market platform Polymarket in a deal valuing the startup at $9 billion. One of the world’s largest prediction marketplaces, Polymarket has faced mounting scrutiny for alleged insider trading.

OKX did not respond to Cointelegraph’s request to comment.

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