Coinbase Wins Full OCC National Trust Bank Charter After Conditional Approval in April

Coinbase has received full federal approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to operate as a national trust bank, completing a regulatory process that began in April 2026 when the OCC granted conditional approval for Coinbase National Trust Company. The final charter establishes Coinbase as a federally regulated entity focused on digital asset custody and market infrastructure, not commercial banking or deposit-taking.

The OCC approval, announced on November 9, gives Coinbase a uniform federal regulatory framework for its custody business, replacing the patchwork of state-level licenses the company had relied on. The charter is expected to sharpen its competitive edge with large institutional investors who require federally regulated custodians, and analysts noted the development puts pressure on rival crypto firms to pursue their own federal oversight to maintain credibility.

The charter was granted under OCC head Jonathan Gould, who took office in early 2026 as part of the broader shift toward crypto-friendly regulation under the Trump administration.