Coinbase pursues OCC federal charter as it looks to bolster innovation between crypto and tradfi

Coinbase joined the roster in its pursuit of a national charter on Friday, following other cryptocurrency firms that have done the same over the past few months.

Coinbase (ticker COIN), the largest U.S.-based crypto exchange, said it is seeking a national trust company charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, in a statement.

"An OCC charter will streamline oversight for new offerings and enable continued innovation to integrate digital assets into traditional finance," said Greg Tusar, Coinbase vice president of institutional product, in the statement. "We’re not the first crypto company to seek a federal charter and we won’t be the last."

Coinbase isn't looking to become a bank, Tusar said.

"Coinbase has no intention of becoming a bank," Tusar said. "It is our firm belief that clear rules and the trust of our regulators and customers enable Coinbase to confidently innovate while ensuring proper oversight and security."

So far, Paxos, BitGo, Ripple, and Circle have also applied for banking licenses with the OCC, following a friendly regulatory environment for crypto under the Trump administration.