Zerohash Refiles for US National Trust Bank Charter
Zerohash provides digital-asset trading, custody and payments infrastructure to financial institutions and companies, including Morgan Stanley and Stripe. A national trust bank charter would place parts of its business within a US federal regulatory framework, strengthening the compliance foundation needed to serve large financial clients as they expand their use of crypto and other digital-asset products.
The company resubmitted its charter application to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Aug. 18, marking its second attempt. The OCC returned Zerohash’s initial filing in July, prompting the company to revise its proposed business scope and management structure to address regulatory requirements. Approval would allow Zerohash to offer Morgan Stanley, Stripe and other customers digital-asset services through a more closely supervised framework.
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The history behind this eventZerohash Plans Second OCC Charter Bid After Application Returned
Zerohash, the cryptocurrency infrastructure partner for Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade, is seeking a national trust bank charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Approval would allow the company to provide digital-asset custody and related services under a federal supervisory framework, making the application an important component of E*Trade’s planned expansion into cryptocurrency offerings.
The OCC returned Zerohash’s initial application after finding substantive deficiencies, ending the first charter review without approval. Zerohash said it plans to revise and narrow the proposed scope of its trust-bank activities before submitting a new application by the end of the month. The company expects the more limited filing to receive an expedited review from the U.S. banking regulator.
Zerohash Applies for OCC National Trust Bank Charter to Expand Crypto Payments
Zerohash has provided banks, brokerages and fintech companies with infrastructure for cryptocurrency trading, stablecoin payments and custody since 2017, and can now operate across 51 U.S. jurisdictions. The GENIUS Act, signed into law in the United States on July 18, 2025, requires payment stablecoins to be backed 1:1 by highly liquid assets such as U.S. dollars, making a federal trust charter an important route for companies seeking to expand across state lines.
OCC records show that the application for Zerohash National Trust Bank was received on March 2, 2026, and the company formally announced it on March 4. If approved, the bank would provide digital-asset and fiat custody, staking, transfer agency and stablecoin management under the OCC's direct supervision. Zerohash previously raised $104 million in September 2025 at a $1 billion valuation, but the charter application has not yet been approved.
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