Crypto.com has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a national trust bank in the United States, a step toward federally regulated digital-asset services.
The approval allows Crypto.com to move forward with Crypto.com National Trust Bank, which will focus solely on digital-asset custody, staking, and trade settlement.
The bank will operate as a limited-purpose national trust bank, meaning it will not accept deposits or issue loans.
“This approval demonstrates our commitment to compliance and providing customers with secure, regulated services,” said CEO Kris Marszalek.
We are proud to announce that https://t.co/vCNztATkNg has received conditional approval from @USOCC for its national trust bank charter.
— Crypto.com (@cryptocom) February 23, 2026
Read more here: https://t.co/gcGdaUG0Li pic.twitter.com/eMq434fapX
Official Announcement.
Before full authorization, the company must meet pre-opening requirements related to capital, governance, risk controls, and internal policies.
Political connections and regulatory context
The federal charter complements Crypto.com Custody Trust Company, a state-regulated trust firm overseen by the New Hampshire Banking Department. Together, the entities allow the company to offer institutions a single federal framework for qualified custody and trading services.
Marszalek was among the first crypto executives to meet former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago after the 2024 election. Crypto.com contributed to Trump’s inauguration committee and made additional donations to MAGA Inc., including $5 million in January 2026.
The OCC approval places Crypto.com alongside other digital-asset firms pursuing national trust charters, including Circle Internet Group, Paxos, BitGo, and Fidelity Digital Assets.
Federal oversight provides institutions with clarity on custody and settlement services for digital assets.
Expansion into artificial intelligence
Alongside banking initiatives, Crypto.com is expanding its artificial intelligence operations. The company recently became the first digital-asset platform to receive ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification, an international standard for AI management systems.
“Security and privacy remain core focuses as we scale AI-driven infrastructure,” said Jason Lau, chief information security officer.
The certification ensures that Crypto.com’s AI systems are secure, transparent, and aligned with regulatory expectations.
The company launched the ai.com platform on February 9, 2026, enabling users to create autonomous AI agents capable of tasks such as trading and workflow management.
Marszalek described the goal as building a decentralized network of self-improving agents integrated with the company’s crypto services. Recent purchase of the AI.com domain for about $70 million in cryptocurrency. The domain, previously listed at $100 million, will be used for consumer-facing AI products.
Rival exchanges have begun offering AI-enabled services as well.
Coinbase, for example, launched AI-friendly crypto wallets that allow agents to spend, trade, and earn cryptocurrency without human intervention.
Matvii Diadkov
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