US Financial Firms Mull Over Crypto Expansion, Seek Regulatory Clarity

As the Donald Trump administration began its second term in January, it opened the doors for many U.S. financial firms to venture into crypto asset-related activities, given the favorable stance of the administration towards cryptocurrency.Nonetheless, despite strong endorsements from regulators, large financial firms like Bank of America BAC, Morgan Stanley MS, and Charles Schwab SCHW remain cautious regarding crypto expansion. Thus, initial steps are likely to be tentative with small pilot programs, collaborations and modest crypto trading.Recent Regulatory Developments Regarding Crypto-Based ActivitiesEarlier this month, Paul Atkins, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), stated his plans to overhaul cryptocurrency policies and establish guidelines for the distribution of crypto tokens that are securities, and consider whether additional exemptions are requisite.Further, the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) allowed U.S. banks to manage crypto assets on behalf of their clients. The OCC confirmed that banks can buy, sell, and hold crypto in custody, alongside outsourcing certain services, such as custody and execution, to third parties.In April 2025, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System withdrew two joint statements that required U.S. banks to issue an advance notification concerning any crypto or stablecoin activities.In March 2025, the FDIC clarified that FDIC-supervised institutions can engage in permissible crypto-related activities without receiving prior approval. Further, Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a strategic crypto reserve.In January 2025, the SEC rescinded an accounting rule that previously required banks to recognize a liability and corresponding asset for their obligation to safeguard crypto assets.Crypto Ventures by Financial FirmsMost firms are likely to enter into custody businesses by forming alliances with existing crypto firms. If a major firm expands without any hurdles, others will likely follow in terms of running small-scale projects and considering other business prospects. Rick Wurster, CEO of Charles Schwab, told Reuters earlier this month that the signals from financial regulators were quite favorable for large firms to expand in the crypto space.Further, on the first-quarter 2025 earnings call, Wurster stated that Schwab will likely launch spot cryptocurrency trading services in the next 12 months. The company already allows its clients to trade spot Bitcoin ETFs after they started trading last year. Similarly, Morgan Stanley is also planning to build a crypto trading feature for E*Trade, with a target to launch spot trading next year.Also, Bank of America is considering launching stablecoins, as stated by CEO Brian Moynihan earlier this year, if the regulations allow. Further, the company along with a few other large banks is exploring issuing a joint stablecoin, with the discussions being in earlier stages at the moment.Why Financial Firms Remain Cautious Despite Regulatory Support?Though these regulatory endorsements are welcoming, U.S. financial firms are seeking greater clarification from the administration on what they can do in crypto and surrounding anti-money laundering (AML) rules. The firms don’t want to get caught up in the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape and, therefore, are seeking well-defined guidelines before entering into the crypto space. While custody businesses to store and manage digital assets seem promising, they offer thin margins relative to higher potential risks. This makes large firms apprehensive about pursuing a large-scale expansion into the crypto custody business.The rules for traditional banking businesses are very well defined, and there is complete clarity over what a bank is allowed to do and what is outside its scope. Similar well-defined guidelines are required for digital assets as well to persuade large financial firms to expand more aggressively into the crypto domain.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2024. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +143.0%, +175.9%, +498.3% and +673.0%.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Bank of America Corporation (BAC): Free Stock Analysis Report Morgan Stanley (MS): Free Stock Analysis Report The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks