Trending Now - EDX Pursues Trust Bank Charter for Crypto Custody Services
WHO:
NewsBTC - Tony Acuña‑Rohter, CEO of EDX Markets, is slated to join the proposed trust’s board.
NewsBTC - EDX Markets, a crypto exchange backed by Citadel Securities.
NewsBTC - Tony Acuña‑Rohter, CEO of EDX Markets.
NewsBTC - Rebeca Romero Rainey, president and CEO of the Independent Community Bankers of America.
NewsBTC - Jonathan Gould, Comptroller of the Currency.
WHAT:
NewsBTC - EDX Markets expects large banks to drive the next phase of crypto adoption, according to Tony Acuña‑Rohter.
NewsBTC - EDX's filing argues that the existing structure of many digital-asset platforms creates potential conflicts of interest and single points of failure.
NewsBTC - EDX Markets has applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust bank charter.
NewsBTC - The application aims to separate custody from trading and expand services under a regulated banking framework.
NewsBTC - EDX argues that moving custody, asset management, and trade settlement into an OCC-chartered national trust bank would provide customers with the “most secure regulatory structure possible.”
NewsBTC - Five firms, including Circle and Ripple, received conditional approval for trust charters in December 2025.
WHERE:
NewsBTC - The application is submitted to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in the United States.
WHEN:
NewsBTC - The public filing for the national trust bank charter was disclosed on Wednesday, March 31st, 2026.
NewsBTC - The conditional approvals for trust charters were granted in December 2025.
WHY:
NewsBTC - Rebeca Romero Rainey expressed concerns that conditional approvals for trust charters could endanger consumers and create institutions that the OCC might struggle to regulate effectively.
NewsBTC - The move comes as US regulators under the current Trump administration have adopted a more receptive posture toward crypto firms seeking to operate under federal banking charters.
NewsBTC - EDX believes that large banks will drive the next phase of crypto adoption.
HOW:
NewsBTC - The application for a national trust bank charter aims to align digital-asset market infrastructure more closely with the separation of duties customary in traditional equities and derivatives markets.
NewsBTC - By operating under a national trust charter, crypto firms can operate across state lines under a single federal regulator, simplifying custody, settlement, and fiduciary services for digital assets.
NewsBTC - The existing structure of many digital-asset platforms concentrates multiple functions within single vertically integrated firms, creating potential conflicts of interest and single points of failure.
(UPDATED April 2, 2026 17:18 UTC)
EDX Markets is set to welcome Tony Acuña-Rohter, its CEO, to the board of a proposed trust aimed at enhancing the digital-asset landscape. Acuña-Rohter believes that large banks will play a crucial role in driving the next phase of crypto adoption, while the company's filing highlights concerns over potential conflicts of interest in existing digital-asset platforms. Rebeca Romero Rainey has raised alarms about conditional approvals for trust charters, warning that they could jeopardize consumer safety and create regulatory challenges for the OCC.
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(UPDATED April 2, 2026 07:21 UTC)
EDX Markets, a crypto exchange backed by Citadel Securities, has applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust bank charter, aiming to separate custody from trading and expand its services under a regulated banking framework. The public filing for this application was disclosed on Wednesday, on Tuesday, and comes as US regulators under the Trump administration have shown a more receptive attitude towards crypto firms seeking federal banking charters. By operating under a national trust charter, EDX believes it can simplify custody, settlement, and fiduciary services for digital assets, addressing potential conflicts of interest that arise from the current structure of many digital-asset platforms.