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Nomura breaks into US crypto banking as Laser Digital secures OCC conditional approval
- Laser Digital received conditional approval for a national trust bank charter from the OCC, a first for a Japanese bank subsidiary.
- The Nomura unit will offer custody of tokenized and digital assets, cross-border payments, and collateral management. It will not take deposits or lend.
- At least 15 digital asset firms have applied for OCC charters since the start of 2025.
Laser Digital, the subsidiary of Nomura Investment Bank, a large Japanese institution, has been given conditional approval for a trust bank charter for the USA. This is a first for any subsidiary of a Japanese financial institution.
The company with headquarters in Zurich, boasting assets of over $250 million, filed for the federal charter in January. With the completion of the conditional charter, Laser Digital will be able to custody and manage tokenized, digital, and traditional assets under federal supervision.
What the charter covers
Laser Digital National Trust Bank, a newly-formed subsidiary, would handle operations in the USA. This subsidiary intends to shift funds between fiat money, stablecoins, and cryptocurrencies, facilitate cross-border payments, and provide collateral management for crypto and non-crypto transactions. Laser Digital will neither offer lending nor accept deposits.
The full OCC sign-off will also depend on the fulfillment of other outstanding requirements, including the attainment of the minimum capital requirement, which is set by OCC on a case-by-case basis.
Laser Digital joins a growing list of conditionally approved crypto firms
The OCC has conditionally approved at least eight crypto and fintech firms for trust bank charters since December 2025: Circle, Ripple, BitGo, Paxos, Fidelity Digital Assets, Bridge (Stripe subsidiary), Crypto.com, and now Laser Digital.
No less than 15 crypto asset companies have filed for OCC charters from the beginning of 2025, according to S&P Global figures.
As Cryptopolitan earlier reported, the series of charters granted has been criticized by banks.
The Bank Policy Institute accused digital asset firms of “not planning to operate genuine trust companies” and warned the OCC was blurring what it means to be a bank.
Since spinning of Nomura in 2022, Laser Digital has secured regulatory approvals in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Japan. It received ADGM broker-dealer approval in 2023, became the first company in Dubai licensed for OTC crypto options in August 2025, and opened a Tokyo office in October 2025 targeting Japan’s growing institutional crypto demand.
The conditional approval for the firm adds a US federal banking license to the growing list of regulatory approvals.
Whether Laser Digital clears the remaining capital requirements and receives full sign-off will determine how quickly it begins competing with Circle, Ripple, and Paxos on American soil.
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FAQs
What is Laser Digital?
Laser Digital is a Zurich-headquartered digital asset subsidiary that Nomura spun off in 2022. It serves institutional clients through crypto trading and investment access and manages more than $250 million in assets.
What does the OCC conditional approval allow Laser Digital to do?
The conditional approval clears the way for Laser Digital to establish a national trust bank in the US that can hold and administer tokenized, digital and conventional assets under federal supervision, though full approval requires meeting additional conditions including minimum capital requirements.
How many crypto firms are seeking US bank charters?
At least 15 digital asset-related firms have submitted applications for OCC-supervised bank charters since the start of 2025.
Micah Abiodun
Micah Abiodun makes good use of his Environmental Engineering and Management (MSc) at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) to polish content and price prediction news at Cryptopolitan. Now on his 7th year in the crypto media space, he covers major cryptos, altcoins, DeFi, stablecoins, macro trends, and emerging tech.
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