The latest analysis circulating is that the Canadian fintech analysts are becoming increasingly bullish on XRP, pointing to a surge in real-world utility that could reshape the digital payments landscape. The financial institutions have continued to adopt blockchain-based settlement systems. This growing utility has led several Canadian researchers to issue an explosive new forecast.

How XRP’s Real-world Utility Is Expanding Faster Than Market Valuations

Canada’s fintech landscape is shifting, and XRP is rapidly emerging as one of its most influential digital assets. According to a video shared by crypto analyst Skipper_xrp, a Canadian news article highlighted that XRP could become the most compelling fintech play in the entire crypto sector and that it could reach as high as $2,000 by 2027.

It is worth noting that XRP is no longer just a speculative asset in Canada. It’s now being viewed by Canadian analysts and market observers as a tangible fintech tool powering real change in cross-border payment, with a clear path to becoming a cornerstone of modern finance by 2027. The article also predicts that XRP could become the strongest fintech play in crypto.

Skipper_xrp added that RACO, which is known as the beloved raccoon-themed token, has quickly become one of the most talked-about projects and is making a splash on the XRP Ledger. While RACO is gaining traction as more users adopt it for transactions, it is emerging as a standout choice within the XRPL ecosystem. Furthermore, the RACO tokens are now officially available for community members to get early access and be part of the project’s growth.

Why The Financial Institutions Can Now Offer XRP Access With Confidence

In a major regulatory breakthrough of the Ripple Ledger, analyst Skipper_xrp has also stated that the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has confirmed that the national banks are now legally permitted to conduct riskless principal transactions in crypto-assets. This riskless principal activity will open the door for the token to be used in these regulated operations and give banks a compliant way to facilitate XRP-based trades and payments.

Furthermore, with the OCC’s confirmation, US national banks can now act as intermediaries for XRP transactions in a fully regulated manner without taking any market risk. This makes it easier for institutional and retail clients to access and use XRP through trusted, regulated financial institutions. 

According to Skipper_xrp, this ruling provides regulatory clarity and gives XRP a competitive edge in the US market, making it the perfect asset for banks to integrate into their service offerings. Such a move could power increased adoption and liquidity for the asset.

On Wednesday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released findings that have raised alarm bells regarding crypto debanking, reigniting fears of what some are dubbing “Operation Chokepoint 2.0” within the financial sector. 

This supervisory review focused on nine of the largest national banks under OCC supervision, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo, US Bank, Capital One, PNC Bank, TD Bank, and BMO Bank.

‘Harmful Debanking Policies’

The preliminary findings from the OCC reveal troubling trends: between 2020 and 2023, these banks appeared to make unwarranted distinctions among customers based on their legal business activities. 

Specifically, many of these institutions maintained policies that either restricted access to financial services or required heightened scrutiny and approvals for certain clients. 

The OCC identified examples where at least one bank imposed limitations on various sectors, including crypto, due to their engagement in activities considered “contrary to [the bank’s] values,” even though those activities were not illegal.

Sectors affected by these policies included oil and gas exploration, coal mining, firearms, private prisons, tobacco and e-cigarettes, adult entertainment, and notably, digital assets. 

The findings indicated that many banks placed strict limitations on crypto-related activities as well, which often stemmed from concerns about financial crime.

These practices, the OCC confirmed, were prevalent at each of the banks examined in the review. Comptroller Jonathan V. Gould expressed frustration regarding the situation, stating: 

It is unfortunate that the nation’s largest banks thought these harmful debanking policies were an appropriate use of their government-granted charter and market power. 

Gould noted that while many of these policies were publicly announced, some banks have maintained that they did not participate in debanking.

In his comments, Comptroller Gould emphasized the OCC’s commitment to eliminating practices that would “weaponize finance,” whether instigated by regulators or the banks themselves. 

National Banks To Facilitate Crypto Transactions

The agency disclosed that it is still evaluating “thousands of complaints” related to allegations of political and religious debanking, with plans to report on these findings “in due course.” The OCC aims to hold banks accountable for these actions and ensure that unlawful debanking practices do not persist. 

This follows Tuesday’s letter from the banking regulator that allows national banks to participate in “riskless principal transactions” involving cryptocurrencies. This permits national banks to buy and sell cryptocurrencies for their customers’ accounts. 

This new structure allows users to transact in crypto-assets through established national banks, resulting in a more regulated environment than exchanges that operate outside of strict oversight regulation. 

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has released preliminary findings from a sweeping review into debanking practices at the country’s nine largest national banks, revealing that all of them imposed “inappropriate” restrictions on lawful businesses, including firms operating in the digital-asset sector.

The review, ordered under President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on “Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All Americans,” examined practices at JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Capital One, PNC, TD Bank and BMO.

The OCC is committed to ending efforts that weaponize finance. Read the OCC’s preliminary findings from its supervisory review of debanking activities at the nine largest national banks. https://t.co/pFMi7Rt8kh pic.twitter.com/XWfbCheo91

— OCC (@USOCC) December 10, 2025

According to the regulator, these banks maintained internal policies between 2020 and 2023 that treated customers differently based on the nature of their legal business activities.

The OCC found that several institutions required escalated approvals or imposed blanket restrictions on entire sectors viewed as conflicting with the banks’ “values.”

The list of affected industries stretched from oil and gas to firearms, private prisons, tobacco, and adult entertainment. Digital asset companies were included among the businesses facing barriers.

Regulator Says Banks Used Charter Powers Improperly as Crypto Debanking Spread

Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould said the agency’s early findings show that these policies were not isolated cases but widespread across the institutions reviewed.

He described the practices as harmful to lawful enterprises and an inappropriate use of a national bank charter.

OCC head Jonathan Gould said that crypto firms seeking federal bank charters should be evaluated on par with traditional financial firms.#OCC #USBankCharter #DigitalAssetFirmshttps://t.co/hXWT3OU9GX

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 9, 2025

While the banks have insisted that they did not engage in discriminatory account closures, the OCC said many of the policies were visible publicly, and its investigations will continue until a full accounting is completed.

The agency’s work builds on a review launched in September 2025 and covers thousands of complaints, including claims of political and religious debanking.

According to the regulator, those findings will be released later. Debanking typically occurs when banks decide it is safer to sever ties with certain customers rather than risk regulatory scrutiny.

In the case of crypto businesses, the pressure has often come indirectly through warnings, consultations, or guidance that banks interpret as cautionary notes from their regulators.

Crypto’s biggest battle isn’t just regulation — it’s access to banks. This op-ed breaks down why debanking is hurting innovation — and how to fix it.#Debanking #CryptoRegulationhttps://t.co/aSuleCKQJm

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) April 17, 2025

One example referenced in the broader debate occurred when the FDIC encouraged banks to “pause” crypto-related activities without issuing a direct prohibition.

That kind of communication, combined with compliance fears, made the sector a high-risk area for banks to service and left crypto firms struggling to maintain basic operational accounts.

Crypto Debanking Sparks Political Clash Amid New Fair-Access Push

The issue has grown into a political flashpoint. President Trump signed an executive order in August intended to stop the practice of debanking customers solely for involvement in crypto or other legal industries.

Lawmakers in states such as Florida, Idaho, Tennessee, and others have pushed their own “fair access” laws designed to block banks from using ideological or non-financial criteria when assessing customers.

Earlier this month, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon recently rejected claims that the bank closes accounts based on political considerations.

JP Morgan CEO admits, “We do debank” but says it’s not for politics but from crypto execs to religious groups; many claim otherwise.

#debanking #JPMorgan https://t.co/m8zi06Jfib

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) December 8, 2025

His comments followed accusations from crypto executives and conservative groups who say they were cut off without clear explanations.

The controversy deepened last month when Strike CEO Jack Mallers said his accounts were abruptly closed under vague references to “concerning activity,” fueling renewed allegations of a modern “Operation Chokepoint.”

Strike CEO @jackmallers says JPMorgan @Chase abruptly terminated his personal bank accounts in September without offering any explanation.#Strike #JPMorganhttps://t.co/nia2Vj4dYV

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) November 24, 2025

Regulators consistently deny any coordinated effort to cut off crypto access, arguing that decisions stem from anti-money-laundering obligations. Federal law requires banks to monitor and report suspicious activity, and institutions face steep penalties when they fail to comply.

The tensions extend beyond bank account closures. Former U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli has argued in court filings that crypto-focused Custodia Bank was denied a Federal Reserve master account because regulators treated the digital asset sector as inherently unsafe.

Several former officials and lawmakers have filed briefs supporting the claim. The case remains on appeal and could take on greater significance after a recent Supreme Court opinion curbed deference to federal agencies’ interpretations of the law.

The post US Regulator Exposes 9 Major Banks That ‘Debanked’ Crypto With ‘Inappropriate’ Restrictions appeared first on Cryptonews.

In a new major breakthrough for the digital asset industry in the United States, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced on Tuesday that national banks are permitted to engage in “riskless principal transactions” involving crypto-assets. 

This confirmation comes through the issuance of Interpretive Letter 1188, which outlines the guidelines for such activities.

OCC’s New Framework

According to the OCC’s guidance, acting as a riskless principal for crypto-assets aligns with the services that national banks already offer to custody customers. 

National banks are now allowed to buy and sell both financial and non-financial assets held in custody based on customer directions, adhering to existing agreements and legal requirements. 

Therefore, facilitating the buying and selling of digital assets for custody customers in a riskless principal capacity is essentially the same as acting as an agent for those customers, and it is acknowledged as a legitimate banking activity.

This new framework means that customers can transact in crypto-assets through established national banks, providing a more regulated environment compared to exchanges that operate outside the purview of strict financial oversight. 

Key Concern For Banks In Crypto Transactions

The OCC also distinguished between riskless principal transactions in digital assets and those in traditional securities. The primary differences lie in the underlying assets and the technology used to facilitate these transactions. 

The main concern associated with riskless principal transactions is counterparty credit risk, especially settlement risk. Similarly, in customer-driven, perfectly matched derivative transactions that utilize transitory title transfer, credit risk is the predominant factor. In the letter, the OCC concluded the following:

As with any activity, a bank that conducts riskless principal crypto-asset transactions must do so in a safe and sound manner and in compliance with applicable law. The OCC will examine riskless principal crypto-asset activities as part of its ongoing supervisory process.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com 

Bitcoin Magazine

OCC Confirms Banks Can Act as Intermediaries in Crypto Transactions

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has clarified that national banks may engage in “riskless principal” transactions involving crypto-assets.

In its new Interpretive Letter 1188, the OCC explained that such transactions allow a bank to act as a principal between two customers, buying crypto from one while simultaneously selling it to another. 

The bank does not hold the assets in inventory, effectively serving as a broker acting on behalf of clients.

This guidance follows a broader regulatory trend to ease restrictions on crypto activities within the traditional banking sector. In March, the OCC removed prior requirements for banks to seek advance approval before engaging in certain crypto operations, signaling growing acceptance of digital assets in mainstream finance.

In other words, U.S. banks can now offer crypto services in a manner similar to traditional brokerage activities. 

Last week, Bank of America announced it would allow wealth management clients to allocate 1%–4% of their portfolios to digital assets.

The guidance applied across Merrill, Bank of America Private Bank, and Merrill Edge, enabling more than 15,000 advisers—previously restricted—to recommend crypto proactively. 

Also, earlier today, PNC Bank became the first major U.S. bank to offer eligible Private Bank clients direct bitcoin trading through its own platform, powered by Coinbase’s infrastructure. The service allowed qualified clients to buy, hold, and sell bitcoin without using an external exchange. 

The launch followed a strategic partnership with Coinbase announced in July.

Full OCC letter details

In essence, the letter basically confirmed that national banks may engage in ‘riskless principal transactions’ in crypto-assets. 

Per the letter, a riskless principal transaction occurs when a bank buys an asset from one counterparty with the simultaneous agreement to sell it immediately to another, without holding the asset in inventory except in rare cases like settlement failures. 

In this role, the bank functions similarly to a broker, taking on limited settlement, market, and credit risk.

The letter made a distinction between crypto-assets that are securities and those that are not. Riskless principal transactions in crypto-assets classified as securities are already permissible under existing law, as the bank acts without recourse, meaning it does not assume customer risk.

The OCC extends this reasoning to crypto-assets that are not securities, framing the activity as part of the broader “business of banking.” 

Under U.S. law, the business of banking is not narrowly defined, allowing banks to engage in new activities that logically extend their traditional functions.

The OCC analyzed the activity using four factors: its similarity to recognized banking activities, its benefit to banks and customers, the nature of the risks involved, and whether state-chartered banks are authorized to perform it. 

Riskless principal crypto-asset transactions align with traditional brokerage and custody services, benefit customers by providing regulated access to crypto-assets, and carry risks familiar to banks, such as settlement risk. 

State regulatory frameworks do not prohibit similar activity, supporting the federal permissibility.

This post OCC Confirms Banks Can Act as Intermediaries in Crypto Transactions first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.

Jonathan Gould, the head of the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), has pushed back on banker complaints about allowing digital asset firms seeking to establish national trust bank charters.

Speaking at an industry event in Washington, he said that crypto companies seeking federal bank charters should be evaluated no differently than traditional financial institutions.

Limiting digital asset activities would “undermine the dynamic and evolving nature of the federal banking system,” he said.

Further, he highlighted the OCC’s long history of chartering national trust banks and their activities. The OCC received about 14 charter applications since the start of the year, including digital asset firms.

“Although the proposed activities of some new charter applicants, specifically those in the digital or fintech spaces, could be viewed as new activities for a national trust bank, custody and safekeeping services have been happening electronically for decades,” the OCC chief said. “There is simply no justification for considering digital assets differently.”

OCC Plans to Supervise Crypto Firms in Banking System – Here’s How

Gould also dismissed concerns from certain existing banks regarding OCC’s lack of supervisory capacity to oversee new applicants’ activities.

In remarks at the 2025 Blockchain Association Policy Summit, Gould noted that the agency is hearing daily from existing banks about their own initiatives for innovative products and services.

“The OCC has also had years of experience supervising a crypto-native national trust bank,” Gould added. “All of this reinforces my confidence in the OCC’s ability to effectively supervise new entrants as well as new activities of existing banks in a fair and even-handed manner.”

Besides, he emphasized the need to evolve the banking system from historical technologies like the telegraph to modern blockchain innovations.

Crypto Players Apply for National Trust Charter

In October, Coinbase filed an application with the US OCC for a National Trust Company Charter to expand financial services under clear regulations.

Despite the move, Coinbase was clear that it has no plans to become a traditional bank. If granted, the license would allow the crypto exchange giant to offer payments without depending on third-party banks.

Circle and Ripple have filed similar applications. For instance, Ripple intended to bring its dollar-backed stablecoin, RLUSD, under federal supervision by seeking a national banking license.

Additionally, Circle is looking to launch a federally regulated entity named First National Digital Currency Bank that would allow the company to offer crypto custody.

The post OCC Head Advocates for Equal Treatment of Crypto Firms in Bank Chartering Process appeared first on Cryptonews.

Bitcoin Magazine

U.S. Regulator Allows Banks to Hold Crypto for Blockchain Fees

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has given national banks the green light to hold crypto on their balance sheets for the purpose of paying blockchain network fees. 

The guidance, issued in interpretive letter No. 1186 today, also allows banks to keep crypto on hand to test internal or third-party crypto platforms.

Blockchain networks require native tokens to process transactions. These fees, often called “gas fees,” are unavoidable. 

The OCC said banks can hold the tokens they reasonably anticipate needing. This could include paying fees as part of crypto custody services or facilitating client transactions. The goal is to reduce reliance on third-party providers and lower operational risks.

“Paying network fees is a necessary part of doing business on blockchain networks,” the OCC said. “Holding crypto for this purpose is permissible when it supports otherwise lawful banking activities.”

‘Incidental’ banking uses

The guidance emphasizes that these activities are “incidental to the business of banking.” That phrase has weight in regulatory language. It means banks can do it legally, as long as the activity helps them serve customers or operate efficiently. 

The OCC even drew parallels to historical banking practices, like holding foreign currency, banknotes, or shares in payment systems to facilitate transactions. 

In other words, banks have always needed to hold certain assets to do business. Crypto is just the latest form.

Banks are expected to manage risks carefully. They must track operational, market, liquidity, cybersecurity, and legal risks. The amount of crypto held should remain minimal relative to the bank’s capital.

The letter comes under the leadership of Comptroller Jonathan Gould, a Trump appointee confirmed in July 2025. Under his tenure, the OCC has become more crypto-friendly. Earlier guidance allowed banks to act as nodes on blockchain networks, offer crypto custody services, and work with stablecoins.

Meanwhile, broader rules for stablecoin issuers under the GENIUS Act are still being drafted. But the OCC’s move signals that U.S. regulators are willing to let banks participate in crypto safely and efficiently.

As more banks explore digital assets, this guidance could accelerate adoption. It bridges traditional finance and blockchain, giving banks a clearer path to integrate crypto into everyday operations.

Earlier this year, the OCC issued guidance (Interpretive Letter 1184) allowing national banks and federal savings associations to offer cryptocurrency custody and trading services.

Essentially, banks can buy and sell digital assets on behalf of customers, outsource crypto activities to third parties, and provide related services like recordkeeping, tax reporting, and compliance.

This post U.S. Regulator Allows Banks to Hold Crypto for Blockchain Fees first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.