The U.S. banking industry is brewing a lawsuit against the OCC to protest the relaxation of new cryptocurrency license issuance policies.
According to The Guardian, the Bank Policy Institute (BPI), representing 40 large lending institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup, is considering suing the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to prevent it from issuing new licenses to cryptocurrency and fintech companies.
The controversy stems from the OCC's reinterpretation of federal licensing rules under the leadership of cryptocurrency executives appointed by the president, which has lowered the threshold for cryptocurrency and fintech companies to obtain national bank trust licenses, allowing them to operate in all 50 states.
The banking industry has reacted strongly, believing that these companies entering the market without the same strict regulation and risk control as traditional banks will pose systemic risks to the financial sector and undermine the credibility of national bank licenses.
As early as October last year, the BPI warned that allowing companies to offer bank-like products under looser regulatory standards not only blurs the legal boundaries of "banks" but also exacerbates risks in the financial system.
Notably, World Liberty Financial, operated by the Trump family, applied for the relevant license in January this year, further intensifying doubts about the fairness of OCC's policy reforms.
The BPI is currently weighing legal options, given that the organization successfully sued the Federal Reserve in 2024 and pushed for rule changes, leading to speculation that it may resort to legal avenues again this time.
Meanwhile, banking regulators and community bank associations across the country have also voiced criticism, arguing that the OCC's plan will weaken consumer protection, disrupt competition, and threaten financial stability.
Despite ongoing market speculation, the BPI has yet to make a final decision regarding a formal lawsuit, while the OCC has declined to comment on the matter.
Overall, whether the lawsuit proceeds or not, it has already created a rift between the two sides. The cryptocurrency industry, eager to penetrate the traditional financial system, is filled with ambition; traditional banking is on high alert against infiltration, trying to maintain the existing financial order;
and the OCC regulatory body is caught in the middle, bearing significant pressure from both sides. How to formulate policies that benefit industry development while ensuring financial stability is also a major challenge currently faced by the regulatory agency.
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