Kraken Parent Payward Files for OCC Charter to Become a Federally Regulated Crypto Bank!

Kraken's parent company Payward has filed an application for a national bank charter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, making a direct bid to operate as a federally regulated crypto bank. The move would place Kraken under the OCC's supervisory framework — the same federal oversight structure that governs traditional US national banks.

A successful OCC charter would be a significant structural milestone for Kraken, granting it access to federal payment rails, the ability to hold customer deposits under a national banking license, and a compliance posture that could unlock institutional partnerships currently out of reach for state-licensed exchanges.

The application lands as the broader US regulatory environment shows signs of warming toward crypto — several firms have quietly pursued federal charters in recent months, but a grant to a major exchange of Kraken's scale…