Blockchain infrastructure firm Zerohash has officially applied for a United States national trust bank charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The application, submitted on February 27, 2026, seeks to establish the "zerohash national trust bank," a federally regulated entity that would allow the company to significantly expand its service offerings.
The move is driven by the rapidly maturing regulatory landscape for digital assets, particularly following the passage of the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act signed into law by President Donald Trump in July. Zerohash stated that the OCC charter would permit it to operate under a federal framework and expand activities covered by the GENIUS Act, including stablecoin and custody services for its client base of banks, brokerages, and fintech firms.
Zerohash, which has been operating since 2017, provides crypto infrastructure enabling trading, custody, and stablecoin payments. Its notable partners and clients include Morgan Stanley, Interactive Brokers, Stripe, and Franklin Templeton. Stephen Gardner, Zerohash's Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, called the application "a natural next step in offering robust global licensing coverage."
The company is part of a significant wave of crypto and traditional finance firms seeking this coveted charter. The OCC issued conditional licenses to Crypto.com, Bridge, and Stripe last month, following conditional approvals in December for Circle, Ripple, Fidelity Digital Assets, BitGo, and Paxos. Other applicants awaiting decisions include Coinbase (applied in October), Laser Digital (January), Payoneer (February 24), and World Liberty Financial (January), the latter seeking to expand its USD1 stablecoin.
Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould has endorsed new entrants, stating they are "good for consumers, the banking industry and the economy." However, the process has drawn scrutiny, with Senator Elizabeth Warren recently raising questions about foreign investor disclosures related to World Liberty's application.
