Key Takeaways
- • Laser Digital, Nomura's digital assets division, filed a formal application with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a federally regulated national trust bank offering institutional cryptocurrency custody and related services.
- • The proposed Laser Digital National Trust Bank would provide institutional clients with custody for cryptocurrencies and U.S. government securities, spot trading in crypto and fiat currencies, and staking services for eligible digital assets—but will not offer deposit accounts or securities trading at launch.
- • The application positions Laser Digital to join a select group of federally regulated crypto-native institutions, following initial approvals granted to Ripple, Circle Internet, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos just one month prior.
- • Laser Digital, currently headquartered in Zurich with existing licensing in the UAE, already operates crypto funds, over-the-counter trading, and treasury management platforms, recently launching a tokenized bitcoin yield-bearing fund to expand its product suite.
- • Federal trust bank status would provide institutional clients with a familiar, well-governed regulatory structure under direct national supervision—addressing growing demand from sophisticated investors seeking regulated frameworks for digital asset engagement.
Summary
Laser Digital, the digital assets arm of Japanese investment bank Nomura, has submitted an application to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency seeking approval to establish a federally regulated national trust bank. The move reflects institutional investor demand for regulated custody and trading infrastructure in the cryptocurrency sector and positions Laser Digital alongside other major players recently approved for similar charters.
The proposed Laser Digital National Trust Bank would operate from a U.S. location and serve institutional clients with a integrated suite of services: institutional-grade custody for cryptocurrencies and U.S. government securities, spot trading in both crypto and fiat currencies, and staking services for eligible digital assets held in custody. The bank will not offer traditional deposit accounts or securities trading upon launch, narrowing its initial scope to digital asset-specific services and maintaining separation from conventional banking operations.
The timing of Laser Digital's application places it among a growing cohort of regulated crypto service providers. Just one month prior, Ripple, Circle Internet, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos all received initial approvals as federally regulated trust banks, signaling accelerating regulatory acceptance of specialized crypto custody infrastructure. Purvi Maniar, Laser Digital's chief legal officer and the proposed bank's president, emphasized the strategic rationale: "Institutional clients are increasingly looking for ways to engage with digital assets within structures that are familiar, well governed, and regulator supervised. The National Trust Bank framework provides exactly that."
Laser Digital brings established operating capabilities to this expansion. The firm is based in Zurich, holds licensing in the United Arab Emirates, and currently operates crypto funds, over-the-counter trading platforms, and treasury management tools. In January 2026, the company launched the Laser Digital Bitcoin Diversified Yield Fund, a tokenized bitcoin instrument with embedded yield characteristics, demonstrating ongoing product innovation in the institutional digital asset space. Federal trust bank approval would consolidate these capabilities under direct national regulatory oversight, offering institutional investors the compliance assurance and operational transparency increasingly required by fiduciaries and institutional asset allocators.
The proposed Laser Digital National Trust Bank would operate from a U.S. location and serve institutional clients with a integrated suite of services: institutional-grade custody for cryptocurrencies and U.S. government securities, spot trading in both crypto and fiat currencies, and staking services for eligible digital assets held in custody. The bank will not offer traditional deposit accounts or securities trading upon launch, narrowing its initial scope to digital asset-specific services and maintaining separation from conventional banking operations.
The timing of Laser Digital's application places it among a growing cohort of regulated crypto service providers. Just one month prior, Ripple, Circle Internet, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos all received initial approvals as federally regulated trust banks, signaling accelerating regulatory acceptance of specialized crypto custody infrastructure. Purvi Maniar, Laser Digital's chief legal officer and the proposed bank's president, emphasized the strategic rationale: "Institutional clients are increasingly looking for ways to engage with digital assets within structures that are familiar, well governed, and regulator supervised. The National Trust Bank framework provides exactly that."
Laser Digital brings established operating capabilities to this expansion. The firm is based in Zurich, holds licensing in the United Arab Emirates, and currently operates crypto funds, over-the-counter trading platforms, and treasury management tools. In January 2026, the company launched the Laser Digital Bitcoin Diversified Yield Fund, a tokenized bitcoin instrument with embedded yield characteristics, demonstrating ongoing product innovation in the institutional digital asset space. Federal trust bank approval would consolidate these capabilities under direct national regulatory oversight, offering institutional investors the compliance assurance and operational transparency increasingly required by fiduciaries and institutional asset allocators.
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