Crypto Startups Face Debanking Challenges Amid Regulatory Pressures

According to Cointelegraph, debanking has emerged as a significant challenge for crypto firms, particularly affecting smaller projects that lack substantial financial and legal resources. Mauricio di Bartolomeo, co-founder of Ledn, has proposed several cost-effective strategies for small crypto startups to navigate debanking issues while maintaining essential regulatory compliance to build relationships with financial institutions. Bartolomeo emphasized the importance of seeking affordable legal counsel from law firms offering special pricing for startups. He also suggested that small firms consider partnering with banks in other countries or operating within crypto frameworks until they can establish traditional banking relationships. Highlighting the critical nature of regulatory compliance, Bartolomeo stated, "Number one is do not cut corners on compliance. The second you cut corners on compliance, you have debanked yourself. So do not cut corners on anti-money laundering (AML) or know-your-customer (KYC) compliance." Ledn, like many other crypto firms, faced debanking during Operation Chokepoint 2.0. However, the company managed to endure the situation due to its diversified banking partnerships, allowing it to focus on regulatory compliance and avoid unnecessary scrutiny from regulators. In 2020, Ledn received a debanking notice, underscoring the challenges faced by crypto firms in maintaining banking relationships. In November, industry leaders voiced their concerns against Operation Chokepoint, with crypto executives sharing their debanking experiences on social media. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen highlighted the issue during an episode of The Joe Rogan Podcast, claiming that over 30 tech founders were debanked during the operation. He also accused the Biden administration of stifling innovation in AI by warning institutional investors against new AI startups. Court documents released through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request revealed that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) had asked some banks to halt crypto activities in 2022. The heavily redacted FDIC documentation drew criticism from Judge Ana Reyes, who ordered the agency to provide more transparent documents by January 2025. Additionally, the FDIC reportedly pressured banks serving crypto clients to cease operations. Venture capitalist Nic Carter alleged that the FDIC, under the Biden administration's direction, deliberately targeted Silvergate Bank to dismantle its crypto clientele, despite the bank's solvency at the time of liquidation. Carter further claimed that the FDIC forced the bank to limit crypto deposits to 15%.