This page may contain stale information. Last updated: 2026-08-15

Overview

Accelerated US fintech pursuit of OCC national bank and national trust charters under a more open 2026 regulatory posture — with sharp AML/competence filters and high political scrutiny for crypto-affiliated applicants.

Timeline

  • 2026-08-14: world-liberty-financial OCC preliminary conditional trust charter (USD1) — Trump-affiliated; Warren opposition (2026-08-14-world-liberty-occ-trust-bank-charter)
  • 2026-07-23: Upstart OCC conditional full charter (upstart)
  • 2026-07-21: Wise OCC trust charter denial — first public denial in current wave (wise)
  • Earlier July: Circle trust final approval; other conditionals (Nubank, Mercury, Valt)

Key Players

Analysis

Same-week Upstart approval and Wise denial show the open door is not a guarantee: AI-lending de novo full charters can clear while remittance/trust applicants fail on AML/CFT and fiduciary readiness.