Nomura-backed Laser Digital seeks US banking charter amid crypto firms' push onshore

Laser Digital, the digital assets arm of Japanese banking giant Nomura, has applied for a U.S. national trust bank charter, as crypto and fintech firms look to operate under federal banking supervision amid a more permissive regulatory environment in Washington.

The application was filed with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Financial Times first reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

A federal charter would allow Laser Digital to operate nationwide without securing state-by-state custody licenses, while stopping short of taking retail deposits. The firm is also expected to offer spot cryptocurrency trading, according to the report.

A source with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed the application to The Block.

A new wave

This comes amid a surge in charter applications from crypto-native firms seeking to bring trading, custody, and settlement operations fully onshore as U.S. policy turns more accommodating.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency typically grants conditional approvals for national trust bank charters, requiring applicants to meet regulatory conditions that include capital, governance, and compliance standards before a final charter is issued and operations can begin.

That group includes Trump-backed World Liberty Financial, which said earlier this month it is pursuing a national trust charter to support issuance and redemption of its USD1 stablecoin under a federally regulated entity.

Circle, Ripple, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos have also received conditional approval from the OCC, positioning them to operate as federally regulated trust banks once final requirements are met.