U.S. Banking Sector Embraces Blockchain Amid Regulatory Shifts

According to ChainCatcher, a recent report from Bank of America highlights a significant shift in the U.S. banking sector as it moves towards blockchain transformation amid evolving cryptocurrency regulations. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has conditionally granted national trust bank licenses to five digital asset companies, signaling federal acceptance of stablecoins and crypto custody services. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is expected to release a proposal for stablecoin regulation this week, in line with the GENIUS Act, which mandates the completion of related rules by July 2026, with implementation set for January 2027. Federal Reserve officials are collaborating with other banking regulators to establish capital, liquidity, and diversification standards for stablecoin issuers. The report also notes that JPMorgan Chase and Singapore's DBS Bank are exploring interoperability frameworks for tokenized value transfers on public and permissioned blockchains. Bank of America anticipates that bonds, stocks, money market funds, and cross-border payments may transition to blockchain platforms, necessitating banks to not only understand blockchain technology but also to engage with tokenized assets and on-chain settlements.