Article Details

Nomura-Backed Laser Digital Seeks US Bank Charter in Crypto Push

TL;DR

• Laser Digital, backed by Nomura, has applied for a national trust bank charter with the OCC to operate in the U.S. at the federal level.
• The company will offer spot trading of digital assets. The charter approval follows a two-stage process that can take up to a year.
• The move aligns with a growing number of federal charter applications from crypto firms, including Coinbase, BitGo, Paxos, and World Liberty Financial.

Laser Digital, the digital asset company backed by the Japanese financial group Nomura, submitted an application for a U.S. national trust bank charter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

The authorization would allow the firm to operate at the federal level without requiring state-by-state custody licenses. The company plans to offer spot trading of digital assets but will not take customer deposits.

The Process Could Take Up to a Year

OCC charter approval is a two-stage process: a preliminary phase followed by final authorization, which requires demonstrating sufficient capital and operational capability and can take up to a year. Laser Digital was founded in 2022 and is headquartered in Switzerland. The company already holds regulatory approvals in Switzerland and Dubai.

Laser Digital’s interest aligns with other crypto companies pursuing federal bank charters. Coinbase had reported evaluating the same option, while BitGo and Paxos also explored this possibility.

Laser Digital and Nomura Seek a U.S. Presence

Circle denied having formally applied for a charter. In December 2025, the OCC conditionally approved five national trust bank charters for digital asset companies: First National Digital Currency Bank (linked to Circle), Ripple National Trust Bank, BitGo Bank & Trust, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos Trust Company. More recently, Trump-affiliated World Liberty Financial submitted its own charter application.

The move has prompted warnings from the American Bankers Association and other industry groups, which highlighted potential policy and procedural risks if digital asset firms receive bank licenses, citing possible disruptions to traditional financial safeguards.

Laser Digital aims to provide federally supervised digital asset trading services and formalize its U.S. presence. The company remains headquartered in Switzerland and has received institutional backing from Nomura, placing it among the crypto firms promoting formal integration of cryptocurrencies into the U.S. banking infrastructure