Nomura’s crypto arm seeks U.S. trust-bank charter as institutional demand for digital assets grows
Laser Digital, the Switzerland-based crypto subsidiary of Japan’s Nomura Group, has applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to form a national trust bank focused on digital assets. Filed this week, the application seeks authorization to operate as Laser Digital National Trust Bank, offering custody and spot trading services for institutional clients.
“Institutional digital asset markets are entering a new phase defined by scale, regulation, and durability,” said Steve Ashley, Laser Digital’s chairman and the proposed chairman of the bank. “The U.S. is the most important financial market globally, and we believe the next chapter of digital finance will be written by firms that are prepared to operate at that level of scrutiny and permanence.”
The move puts Nomura’s unit in a growing cohort of crypto firms pursuing OCC trust charters as federal regulators and lawmakers reshape the U.S. framework for digital-asset services. Recent approvals have included stablecoin issuers and custody providers such as Circle, Ripple, BitGo, and Paxos, as well as a high-profile trust bank backed by Peter Thiel and Palantir’s co-founders. Meanwhile, companies including Coinbase, Sony, and payments processor Stripe have also filed charter applications.
Bank charters have become more attractive to digital-asset firms amid evolving regulation and legislation around stablecoins and crypto custody, prompting a wave of applications from longtime crypto players and new entrants alike. Laser Digital’s bid underscores that major incumbent financial groups — not just native crypto companies — see U.S. trust-bank charters as a route to scale institutional-grade services in the digital-asset market.
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