OCC Leads Charge for Crypto Trust Charters Amid Bank Resistance

BriefBits Crypto: This week's most important developments in Crypto world

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From regulatory breakthroughs to innovative fee models and major market moves, this edition reveals how crypto’s future is reshaping finance.

In today's edition:

The OCC pushes for crypto trust charters to modernize banking.
Ethereum’s new gas futures market aims to tame fee volatility.
Ripple's $40B valuation signals strong confidence in crypto infrastructure.

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Regulation

U.S. OCC Champions Crypto Trust Charters Amid Banking Pushback

Briefly: Jonathan Gould, head of the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), is actively supporting crypto firms seeking federal trust charters despite opposition from traditional banks, emphasizing the need to modernize banking to include digital asset services and addressing debanking concerns.

Key Information:

OCC has seen 14 new bank charter applications in the past year, many linked to digital assets and fintech.
Only Anchorage Digital previously received a crypto bank license; now Erebor has a provisional charter under Gould's leadership.
The OCC is working with the FDIC on rules to remove 'reputation risk' from supervisory regulations impacting crypto banks.
Gould highlighted the need to shift financial infrastructure 'from the telegraph to the blockchain,' signaling regulatory openness.

Infrastructure

Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin Proposes On-Chain Gas Futures Market to Stabilize Fees

Briefly: Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has unveiled a pioneering proposal to create an on-chain gas futures market, enabling users to lock in transaction fees at fixed prices ahead of time, which could bring much-needed stability and predictability to Ethereum’s notoriously volatile gas fee system.

Key Information:

The proposed gas futures market allows users to purchase fixed-price gas contracts for future transactions, reducing fee unpredictability.
This system builds upon EIP-1559 by converting reactive gas fees into proactive, manageable costs similar to utilities like electricity.
High-volume users such as exchanges, wallets, and automation services stand to benefit from consistent fee planning and operational reliability.
The market-driven pricing would provide clearer signals for network demand, aiding scaling decisions and infrastructure management.

🏃 Zip-Zap Crypto Snaps

RegulationBinance became the first crypto exchange to secure full digital asset licenses in Abu Dhabi, enabling it to operate a complete market infrastructure stack under the Financial Services Regulatory Authority. This milestone sets a new compliance benchmark and marks Abu Dhabi as a growing hub for regulated crypto operations.

InfrastructurezkSync announced the planned shutdown of its original zkSync Lite rollup in 2026 to focus resources on advanced ZK Stack chains like zkSync Era, signaling a major upgrade in Ethereum scaling and cross-chain interoperability within their ecosystem.

InvestmentMichael Saylor’s Strategy expanded its Bitcoin treasury to over 660,000 BTC after a recent $962 million purchase, reinforcing its bullish stance on Bitcoin as digital capital despite stock price volatility.

ComplianceThe US SEC closed its investigation into Ondo Finance without charges, marking a regulatory reset on tokenized equity platforms and hinting at growing acceptance of blockchain-based securities in traditional US capital markets.

SecurityPhysical attacks on crypto holders, known as wrench attacks, have surged 169% this year, prompting innovations like panic wallets with duress triggers and biometric safeguards, as personal safety becomes a front-line issue in crypto custody.

FinanceCircle and Bybit deepened their partnership to enhance USDC liquidity and usability across Bybit’s ecosystem, supporting USDC’s market cap nearing $80 billion and further bridging regulated stablecoins with global financial infrastructure.

📈 Numbers and Trends

Bitcoin holds a treasury exceeding 660,000 BTC after a recent acquisition of 10,624 BTC for nearly $963 million, with total Bitcoin assets valued at around $60 billion.
USDC stablecoin approaches an $80 billion market cap in 2025, nearly doubling from $44 billion earlier in the year, fueled by strengthened partnerships and regulatory compliance efforts.
Crypto exchange-traded products attracted $716 million in inflows last week, pushing total assets under management above $180 billion, an 8% recovery from recent lows.
Ethereum co-founder proposed an on-chain gas futures market to stabilize and predict transaction fees, enhancing Ethereum’s fee structure and supporting institutional use.
zkSync Lite is set to shut down in 2026 after processing over a billion transactions since 2020, with $50 million in assets still bridged and fully withdrawable.

💬 Quote of the Day

There is no reason to treat digital assets differently, and it’s vital to allow banks to evolve beyond legacy technologies to foster financial innovation.

Jonathan Gould, Chief of the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

U. S. Regulator Pushes Back on Banks Fighting Crypto's Pursuit of Trust Charters

1️⃣ Number of the Day

$40 billion - Ripple's Valuation After $500M Funding Round

Ripple's recent $500 million capital raise has boosted its valuation to $40 billion, underscoring strong Wall Street confidence in its transition from litigation focus to a broad crypto-native settlement infrastructure provider.

Wall Street piles in: How Ripple’s quiet pivot led to a $40B valuation

OCC Leads Charge for Crypto Trust Charters Amid Bank Resistance

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