Bank of America says U.S. banks are heading for multi-year onchain future
TL;DR
Bank of America predicts U.S. banks are entering a multi-year transition to onchain operations, driven by accelerating crypto regulations and institutional adoption of blockchain technology for assets like tokenized deposits and stablecoins.
Key Takeaways
- •U.S. crypto regulation is accelerating with OCC granting conditional trust bank charters to digital-asset firms, and FDIC/Federal Reserve expected to follow with stablecoin rules under the GENIUS Act.
- •Banks should embrace blockchain technology, as shown by JPMorgan and DBS pilots exploring tokenized deposits on public and permissioned blockchains.
- •Regulatory developments mark a shift from policy discussion to implementation, creating a framework for more real-world assets and payments to move onchain.
- •Tokenized deposits are emerging as a potential alternative to stablecoins, with institutions developing interoperable frameworks for cross-blockchain value transfer.
- •Banks will need blockchain expertise and willingness to experiment with tokenized assets and on-chain settlement to prepare for this transition.
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What to know:
- Bank of America said U.S. crypto rulemaking is set to accelerate as the OCC grants conditional national trust bank charters to five digital-asset firms.
- The bank expects the FDIC and Federal Reserve to follow with stablecoin capital, liquidity and approval rules under the GENIUS Act.
- Banks should embrace blockchain, the report said, citing JPMorgan and DBS pilots in tokenized deposits on public and permissioned blockchains.
- Bank of America said U.S. crypto rulemaking is set to accelerate as the OCC grants conditional national trust bank charters to five digital-asset firms.
- The bank expects the FDIC and Federal Reserve to follow with stablecoin capital, liquidity and approval rules under the GENIUS Act.
- Banks should embrace blockchain, the report said, citing JPMorgan and DBS pilots in tokenized deposits on public and permissioned blockchains.
Crypto policy is shifting from talk to implementation as the OCC, FDIC and Federal Reserve begin to sketch a regulatory perimeter for stablecoins and tokenized deposits in the U.S., Bank of America said in a Monday report.
Recent approvals and proposals mark the start of a multi-year transition that could push more real-world assets and payments onchain, the analysts led by Ebrahim Poonawala said.
The OCC’s recent conditional approval of national trust bank charters for five digital-asset firms is a meaningful step toward federal acceptance of stablecoins and crypto custody, analysts wrote. The charters open the door for digital-asset activity inside the regulated banking system, provided it is offered as a fiduciary service with strong liquidity, compliance and risk controls, according to the analysts.
The FDIC is expected to release a notice of proposed rulemaking this week detailing how payment stablecoins issued by subsidiaries of FDIC-supervised banks can be approved, the analysts noted. Those rules, required under the GENIUS Act, must be finalized by July 2026 and take effect by January 2027.
The report also highlighted comments from Federal Reserve officials indicating collaboration with other bank regulators on capital, liquidity, and diversification standards for stablecoin issuers, as mandated by the GENIUS Act. The analysts link this to a broader global push, highlighting a recent Bank of England proposal for a regime governing sterling systemic stablecoins, including asset-holding requirements and caps on exposures.
Tokenized deposits vs. stablecoin
On the market-structure side, Bank of America highlighted JPMorgan and Singapore-based DBS, which are exploring an interoperable framework for tokenized value transfer across public and permissioned blockchains.
That work, building on JPMorgan’s JPMD tokenized deposit initiative, underscores a live debate over whether tokenized deposits are a better alternative to stablecoins, the report said.
Bank of America sees a plausible future in which transactions in bonds, stocks, money-market funds and cross-border payments migrate on-chain, supported by new rules and institutional-grade infrastructure.
To prepare, banks will need not only fluency in blockchain but a willingness to experiment with tokenized assets and on-chain settlement, the report added.
Read more: Crypto Investment Firm Blockstream to Acquire TradFi Hedge Fund Corbiere Capital
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