US crypto & fintech regulation, in plain English
Every major rule from FinCEN, OCC, OFAC, the SEC and CFTC — explained, with who it affects and what to do. Free, always current, no signup.
Major rule trackers
The GENIUS Act: federal rules for payment stablecoins
Signed into law — illicit-finance rules being finalized (expected mid-2026)
The first major U.S. digital-asset law. It creates a federal licensing and supervision regime for payment-stablecoin issuers: 1:1 reserves in cash or short-dated Treasuries, bank-like safety-and-soundness standards, and full BSA/AML obligations. Treasury, FinCEN, and OFAC are now writing the implementing rules.
Open trackerU.S. Congress · SEC · CFTCThe CLARITY Act: who regulates crypto — the SEC or the CFTC?
Advancing through Congress — joint SEC/CFTC guidance already issued
The market-structure bill that aims to end the SEC-vs-CFTC turf war over crypto. It sets statutory rules for when a digital asset is a security (SEC) versus a digital commodity (CFTC), replacing years of enforcement-by-litigation with a defined regulatory perimeter.
Open trackerOCC Seeks Comments on GENIUS Act Stablecoin Issuer License Application Forms
The OCC is proposing a new information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act to support the licensing and registration process for entities that want to issue payment stablecoins under the GENIUS Act. This is an early procedural step in building out the federal licensing framework for stablecoin issuers. Compliance officers at firms considering or already planning to issue payment stablecoins should monitor this closely, as the application requirements will shape what documentation and controls are needed.
Federal Banking Agencies Issue Guidance on Protecting Sensitive Info During Exams
The OCC, Federal Reserve, and FDIC jointly issued a statement describing enhanced security procedures for how examiners handle highly sensitive information during bank examinations, such as reviewing certain materials on-site rather than transferring them to agency systems. For crypto-focused banks and trust companies holding sensitive customer data or proprietary technology details, this guidance clarifies how to engage with examiners while protecting confidential information. Compliance and legal teams should update their examination-management protocols to align with these enhanced procedures.
Banking Agencies Clarify Secure Handling of Sensitive Data in Bank Exams
The federal banking agencies issued a joint statement outlining enhanced security procedures for examiner review of highly sensitive bank information, including practices like on-site review rather than transferring data onto agency systems. Banks and trust companies — including those with crypto or digital asset operations — should understand these procedures to manage examination risk and protect sensitive data. This is directly relevant to any supervised institution preparing for or currently undergoing a regulatory examination.
OCC Releases July 2026 Enforcement Actions Against Banks
The OCC published its monthly enforcement actions for July 2026, which may include cease-and-desist orders, civil money penalties, or other formal actions against OCC-supervised banks. Compliance officers should review the published actions to identify any patterns related to AML, BSA, or other compliance failures that could signal supervisory priorities. Enforcement actions against peer institutions often foreshadow examination focus areas relevant to crypto-active banks and trust companies.
OCC Flags Updated FinCEN Guidance on Voluntary Info-Sharing Between Institutions
The OCC is drawing attention to FinCEN's refreshed Section 314(b) Fact Sheet, which clarifies how financial institutions can voluntarily share information about suspected money laundering or terrorist financing with one another under a statutory safe harbor from liability. Compliance officers should review the updated guidance to ensure their institution's 314(b) program reflects the latest expectations, particularly around fraud-related information sharing, which was a key focus of the update.
OCC Proposes BSA/AML and Sanctions Rules for Payment Stablecoin Issuers
The OCC, in coordination with FinCEN and OFAC, has proposed regulations implementing BSA/AML and sanctions compliance requirements specifically for permitted payment stablecoin issuers under its jurisdiction, as required by the GENIUS Act. This is a landmark proposal that will establish formal AML program, KYC, and sanctions screening obligations for federally supervised stablecoin issuers. Compliance officers at stablecoin issuers and banks exploring stablecoin activities should treat this as a top-priority rulemaking.
OCC Proposes BSA/AML and Sanctions Rules for Stablecoin Issuers Under GENIUS Act
The OCC has issued a proposed rulemaking to establish Bank Secrecy Act and sanctions compliance requirements specifically for OCC-supervised permitted payment stablecoin issuers (PPSIs), as mandated by the newly enacted GENIUS Act. This is a landmark development because it creates a dedicated AML/CFT and sanctions compliance framework for federally supervised stablecoin issuers for the first time. Any firm considering or currently operating as a payment stablecoin issuer under OCC oversight must prepare to meet these new BSA and OFAC compliance standards.
OCC Releases June 2026 Enforcement Actions Against Banks
The OCC published its monthly roundup of formal enforcement actions taken against national banks and federal savings associations. Compliance officers should review these actions to identify patterns in supervisory priorities, including any AML, BSA, or compliance program deficiencies that could signal broader exam focus areas.
OCC Clarifies How It Evaluates Bank Charter and License Applications
The OCC issued guidance clarifying the standards it uses when making decisions on filings such as charter applications, mergers, and licensing requests. This is directly relevant to crypto firms and fintechs pursuing national bank charters or trust company charters, as it signals what the OCC will and will not weigh in its approval decisions.
OCC Bulletin: Updated Standards for Charter and Filing Decisions
The OCC published a formal bulletin clarifying the standards it applies when deciding on regulatory filings, including charter applications and other approval requests. For crypto custodians, exchanges, and fintechs seeking federal licensing, understanding these standards is essential for structuring a credible application.
OCC Proposes New Reporting Forms for Payment Stablecoin Issuers
The OCC is proposing a new set of weekly and quarterly reporting forms specifically for permitted payment stablecoin issuers—including foreign issuers—under its jurisdiction, and is seeking a new OMB control number for this collection. This signals that the OCC is building out a formal, ongoing supervisory data infrastructure for stablecoin issuers, which will impose regular disclosure and reporting obligations on covered entities. Compliance officers at stablecoin issuers or institutions considering a stablecoin charter should treat this as an early indicator of the reporting burden they will face.
OCC Revises Its Licensing Manual Information Collection Requirements
The OCC is soliciting public comment on a revision to the information collection associated with its Licensing Manual, which governs applications and filings for national bank charters and related approvals. For crypto firms, fintechs, and trust companies pursuing OCC charters or special-purpose licenses, changes to the Licensing Manual directly affect the documentation and process requirements they must satisfy. Staying current with any revisions is essential for institutions actively exploring or pursuing federal licensing pathways.
Joint Final Rule Sets Common Data Standards for Financial Regulatory Reporting
Eight federal financial regulators, including the OCC, Fed, FDIC, SEC, and CFTC, have issued a joint final rule implementing the Financial Data Transparency Act of 2022, establishing standardized data formats for regulatory reporting submissions. Firms subject to reporting obligations across multiple regulators will need to align their data infrastructure and reporting pipelines to the new interoperability standards. This affects any regulated entity that files supervisory data with participating agencies.
OCC Proposes Weekly & Quarterly Reporting Forms for Stablecoin Issuers Under GENIUS Act
The OCC is seeking public comment on proposed weekly and quarterly reporting forms that permitted payment stablecoin issuers and foreign stablecoin issuers registered with the OCC under the GENIUS Act will be required to complete. This is an early but critical step in the GENIUS Act supervisory framework, and stablecoin issuers operating under OCC jurisdiction need to understand their forthcoming reporting obligations. Comments are due within 60 days of Federal Register publication.
OCC Comptroller Testifies on Agency Priorities Before House Financial Services
OCC Comptroller Jonathan Gould testified before the House Committee on Financial Services regarding the OCC's current priorities and activities. Congressional testimony from the OCC often signals upcoming regulatory focus areas, including those affecting banks engaged in digital asset activities and fintech partnerships. Compliance officers should review the testimony for guidance on OCC supervisory priorities relevant to their institutions.
Federal Banking Agencies Remove 'Reputation Risk' from Supervisory Guidance
The OCC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve jointly updated 15 interagency guidance documents to remove references to reputation risk as a supervisory consideration. This is significant for crypto and fintech firms that have historically faced banking access challenges when banks cited reputational concerns; its removal may reduce discretionary debanking of digital asset businesses.
OCC Bulletin: 'Reputation Risk' Removed from 15 Interagency Guidance Documents
The OCC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve have reissued 15 interagency guidance documents with all references to reputation risk removed, following a regulatory deregulation initiative. For crypto and fintech compliance officers, this shift may reduce the justification banks have used to restrict or terminate accounts for digital asset businesses based on perceived reputational concerns.
OCC Releases May 2026 Bank Enforcement Actions
The OCC has published its monthly enforcement actions for May 2026, which can include cease-and-desist orders, civil money penalties, and formal agreements tied to BSA/AML, compliance, and risk management failures at national banks and federal thrifts. Compliance officers at banks and fintechs with bank partners should review these actions to identify emerging supervisory themes and benchmark their own programs against cited deficiencies. Enforcement trends from the OCC often signal where examiners will focus next.
OCC Preempts Illinois Law Banning Interchange Fees on Tax and Tip Portions
The OCC has issued an interim final order concluding that the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act — which would bar national banks and federal savings associations from charging interchange fees on the tax and gratuity portions of card transactions and restrict use of transaction data — is preempted by federal law. Payment processors and fintechs that issue cards or process transactions for national banks should note that the Illinois restriction will not apply to federally chartered institutions, though state-chartered entities and non-bank payment companies may still need to assess their own exposure.
OCC Clarifies National Banks' Right to Charge Interchange and Other Non-Interest Fees
The OCC has adopted an interim final rule affirming that national banks have broad authority to assess non-interest charges and fees — including interchange fees from credit and debit card operations — even when those fees are set by or negotiated with third parties. This directly supports bank-fintech partnership models where fee structures are co-designed with program managers or payment processors, providing clearer legal footing for those arrangements.
OCC Interim Rule Clarifies National Banks' Authority to Charge Payment Card Interchange Fees
The OCC has issued an interim final rule amending its regulation on national bank non-interest charges and fees to explicitly confirm that national banks may charge non-interest fees — including interchange fees from payment card activity — even when those fees are set by a third party rather than the bank itself. This is relevant to banks and fintechs involved in payment card programs, including crypto debit and prepaid card products, where fee structures may be determined by card networks or program managers. Compliance officers should assess whether current fee disclosures and program agreements align with the clarified rule, and note that a public comment period is open.
OCC & FDIC Ban 'Reputation Risk' as a Basis for Supervisory or Account Actions
The OCC and FDIC have finalized a rule prohibiting themselves from using 'reputation risk' as a grounds for supervisory criticism or adverse action, and from pressuring banks to close or deny accounts based on a customer's lawful business activities, political views, or constitutionally protected speech. This is directly relevant to crypto and fintech firms that have experienced debanking or account closures, as it limits regulators' ability to push banks away from serving these industries on reputational grounds alone. Banks serving crypto clients should document this rule as support for maintaining those relationships.
OCC, FDIC & NCUA Propose Risk-Based AML/CFT Program Rules for Banks
The OCC, FDIC, and NCUA are jointly proposing amendments to require banks and credit unions to maintain AML/CFT programs that are risk-based, outcomes-focused, and aligned with the concurrent FinCEN AML Act rulemaking — modernizing a framework that has remained largely unchanged for decades. Banks with crypto-related customers or services should pay particular attention, as the risk-based approach may reshape how they assess and document illicit finance risks associated with digital assets. This proposal runs in parallel with the FinCEN proposal and compliance officers should review both together.
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