Key Takeaways
- • Laser Digital, the digital assets subsidiary of Japanese investment bank Nomura, filed an application with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a federally regulated national trust bank for cryptocurrency custody and trading services.
- • The proposed Laser Digital National Trust Bank would serve institutional clients with custody for cryptocurrencies and U.S. government securities, spot trading for crypto and fiat currencies, and staking services—all under direct federal regulatory supervision.
- • Laser Digital joins a competitive cohort of crypto-native institutions pursuing federal trust bank charters, following recent initial approvals granted to Ripple, Circle Internet, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos within the past month.
- • The national trust bank framework eliminates the need for Laser Digital to obtain individual state-level custody licenses and positions the firm to operate nationwide under a single federal charter, streamlining regulatory compliance for institutional digital asset services.
- • Laser Digital, already licensed in the UAE and based in Zurich, currently offers crypto funds, over-the-counter trading, and treasury management tools; the proposed bank will not initially offer deposit accounts or securities trading.
Summary
Laser Digital, the digital assets arm of Nomura Holdings, has applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for a national trust bank charter, marking the latest institutional financial firm to pursue federal regulation in the cryptocurrency custody space. The application signals Nomura's strategic commitment to positioned itself as a regulated player serving institutional clients navigating digital asset adoption.
The proposed Laser Digital National Trust Bank would operate from a U.S. base and provide institutional clients with a comprehensive suite of digital asset services under direct federal supervision. Core offerings include cryptocurrency custody, custody of U.S. government securities, spot trading capabilities for both cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies, and staking services for eligible digital assets. Notably, the bank will not offer deposit accounts or securities trading at launch, maintaining a focused service model aligned with custody and trading infrastructure.
The timing of Laser Digital's application reflects accelerating institutional adoption of digital assets and regulatory momentum in the sector. The filing comes approximately one month after initial approvals were granted to Ripple, Circle Internet, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos for similar national trust bank charters—establishing a meaningful precedent for OCC approval of crypto-native banking entities. According to Purvi Maniar, Laser Digital's chief legal officer and the proposed bank's president, "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, established in 2022, brings existing operational infrastructure and regulatory licensing to the application. The firm is currently based in Zurich and holds digital asset licenses in the UAE, where it operates crypto funds, over-the-counter trading services, and treasury management tools. In January 2026, the firm introduced a tokenized bitcoin yield-bearing product, the Laser Digital Bitcoin Diversified Yield Fund, demonstrating ongoing innovation in institutional-grade digital asset offerings. A federal trust bank charter would eliminate the need for state-by-state licensing and enable nationwide operations under single regulatory oversight, simplifying operational complexity for Laser Digital's institutional client base.
The proposed Laser Digital National Trust Bank would operate from a U.S. base and provide institutional clients with a comprehensive suite of digital asset services under direct federal supervision. Core offerings include cryptocurrency custody, custody of U.S. government securities, spot trading capabilities for both cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies, and staking services for eligible digital assets. Notably, the bank will not offer deposit accounts or securities trading at launch, maintaining a focused service model aligned with custody and trading infrastructure.
The timing of Laser Digital's application reflects accelerating institutional adoption of digital assets and regulatory momentum in the sector. The filing comes approximately one month after initial approvals were granted to Ripple, Circle Internet, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos for similar national trust bank charters—establishing a meaningful precedent for OCC approval of crypto-native banking entities. According to Purvi Maniar, Laser Digital's chief legal officer and the proposed bank's president, "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, established in 2022, brings existing operational infrastructure and regulatory licensing to the application. The firm is currently based in Zurich and holds digital asset licenses in the UAE, where it operates crypto funds, over-the-counter trading services, and treasury management tools. In January 2026, the firm introduced a tokenized bitcoin yield-bearing product, the Laser Digital Bitcoin Diversified Yield Fund, demonstrating ongoing innovation in institutional-grade digital asset offerings. A federal trust bank charter would eliminate the need for state-by-state licensing and enable nationwide operations under single regulatory oversight, simplifying operational complexity for Laser Digital's institutional client base.
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