Nomura’s digital-asset unit Laser Digital is stepping up its U.S. regulatory strategy in early 2026. It has applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust bank charter, according to a Financial Times report. Laser Digital is trying to standardize U.S. market access by pursuing a federal OCC framework. The unit, spun out in 2022, would use the structure to support spot digital-asset services while avoiding a state-by-state custody buildout. The move reframes expansion as a compliance-led operating model, not a marketing push.
The OCC route turns licensing into execution
The OCC route is typically a two-stage process, starting with conditional approval and moving to final approval once the applicant proves capital, controls, and operational readiness. The report says the end-to-end timeline can stretch well beyond a year, which turns a filing into a delivery program with execution risk. A charter application is a multi-quarter build where governance evidence matters as much as product vision. For teams, the work is documentation, systems testing, and supervisory engagement, at pace. Past applicants have sometimes withdrawn after delays or difficulty meeting early requirements.
Nomura-backed crypto group Laser Digital seeks US banking licence https://t.co/i225NTiHdI
— Financial Times (@FT) January 27, 2026
Timing is central to the narrative. The report describes a friendlier mood in Washington under President Donald Trump, with crypto and fintech firms seeking to bring payments, custody, and stablecoin operations under a perimeter. Charter bids are becoming the default path for firms that want scalable, regulated distribution in the U.S. Trump-linked World Liberty Financial said earlier this month its subsidiary applied for an OCC national trust bank charter tied to stablecoin activity. In Europe, Revolut is preparing a U.S. banking license bid after dropping a lender plan.
Laser Digital’s charter race is widening beyond crypto
The rush is not limited to crypto. The report notes the FDIC recently approved deposit insurance applications from Ford and General Motors, supporting efforts to establish industrial banks in Utah. Meanwhile, the OCC has a new leadership team, with Jonathan V. Gould sworn in as Comptroller of the Currency in July 2025. Across sectors, firms are pursuing bank-style permissions to de-risk growth and institutionalize trust. That competitive dynamic raises the bar on risk controls and board oversight, even for narrow-purpose charters. For Laser Digital, that context increases upside and scrutiny.
Freshfields data cited in the report illustrates why the queue is tightening. The OCC received 14 de novo charter applications in 2025 for limited-purpose national trust banks, nearly matching the prior four years combined. More applicants means more scrutiny on technology resilience, compliance staffing, and how policies translate into day-to-day controls. Laser Digital aims to offer spot trading under the trust-bank framework while not taking direct deposits. In this environment, the differentiator is operational readiness, not intent, because supervisors want proof, not promises. It tests how quickly its controls scale.