OCC Authorizes U.S. Banks to Use Crypto for Gas Fees

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has clarified that banks can use crypto to handle gas fees during approved banking activities as confirmed in an interpretive letter.

This provides longstanding clarity for institutional players engaging in blockchain transactions, potentially increasing participation from banks like JPMorgan and Citi.

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has issued an interpretive letter affirming that U.S. banks may hold crypto-assets to pay blockchain network fees for approved activities. This provides new clarity for financial institutions.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today confirmed permissible bank activities related to paying crypto-asset network fees, said Michael J. Hsu, Acting Comptroller of the Currency. Source

The OCC, led by Michael J. Hsu, confirmed that large banks such as JPMorgan and Citi can directly engage in crypto activities, holding assets necessary to pay network fees. This is a change in regulatory stance.

This decision will impact the banking sector and blockchain industry significantly. U.S. banks' involvement increases connectivity with decentralized technologies, fostering wider crypto acceptance and operational integration within traditional finance systems.

No immediate funding shifts are evident, but this clears the path for financial institutions to maintain crypto-assets on balance sheets specifically for transaction fee purposes, affecting cryptocurrencies like ETH, MATIC, and SOL.

This may influence regulatory treatments and crypto-market dynamics across the finance sector, setting a precedent for broader crypto utilization in banking. Such developments align with global shifts toward digital asset adoption in traditional markets.

Potential outcomes include increased blockchain adoption by banks and elevated crypto integration into mainstream financial services, supported by historical trends of regulatory fluctuation and evolving financial technologies.

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