Hey FFG Founders,
In the not-too-distant past, engaging with cryptos was a vastly different experience than it is currently. Projects were forging ahead with innovations to transform the global financial infrastructure while simultaneously dodging regulators like they're the bad guys in a heist movie.
I saw this firsthand while working at Cointelegraph and Kitco, regularly writing headlines about banks being fined for even glancing at blockchain, wondering when the grown-ups would finally join the party.
Well, hold onto your hats, because on November 18, 2025, they did. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) – the watchdog for U.S. banks – dropped Interpretive Letter 1186, changing the game forever. In plain speak: Banks can now hold small amounts of crypto on their books to pay network fees (think gas for Ethereum transactions) and test new platforms. No more begging third parties or risking fines. It's not flashy, but man, it's huge.
But this was just the start. On December 9, they swung the gates wide open with Interpretive Letter 1188. In simple terms, national banks (think the big players like Chase or BofA) can now act as "riskless principal" brokers for crypto trades.