We’ve been calling for a federal alternative to state money transmission licensing for digital currency companies since our inception, and today we are thrilled by Comptroller Curry’s remarks: that the OCC will be providing that path in the form of a national fintech charter.
We’ve repeatedly argued in regulatory comments, letters, testimony, and breifings that the complexities and uncertainties of the state licensing system is one of the key impediments to digital currency innovation here in the U.S. As we wrote in our most recent comment to the OCC:
The U.S. does not currently offer a particularly welcoming home for digital currency exchanges because of two troublesome structural features of U.S. financial regulation that are not present in many foreign jurisdictions: federalism, and a rules-based rather than principles-based approach.
Today’s announcement is great news for the federalism half of that problematic equation, because it opens up the possibility for preemption of state by state licensing laws for those companies that obtain a federal charter. Best of all, this approach doesn’t necessarily create new obligations for companies. Firms can still seek licenses or charters at the state level, but now a unified federal approach will also be an option. As the Comptroller remarked:
Merely making a charter available, does not create a requirement to seek one. Nor does it displace the other choices a fintech company may have—for example, seeking a state bank charter in a state that makes one available or to continue operating outside the banking system. A company’s choice to pursue a national charter should be driven by the company’s business model and strategy on how best to serve their intended customers.
And a federal charter would be a very sensisble option for companies in the digital currency space who, because of the nature and of the Internet and digital currency networks, operate globally from day one. We’ve yet to review any specifics of the proposed chartering process but hopefully it will be in line with our other big ask from the OCC: that consumer protection regulation of these innovative firms follow a principles-based rather than rules-based approach, mirroring the FCA’s flexibile approach to regulating these firms in the UK.
We’ll keep working toward that goal, but today we’re happy just to celebrate this excellent step in the right direction.