The biggest signal of this change comes from SoFi Bank<\/a><\/strong>, which has launched SoFi Crypto<\/strong>, making it the first nationally chartered, FDIC-insured bank to offer retail crypto trading inside its main banking app. Customers can now buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, and other major assets, all under oversight from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)<\/strong>. For a sector known for its regulatory uncertainty, this marks a major milestone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The OCC first opened the door in 2020 when it issued guidance allowing national banks to handle digital-asset custody, settlement, and even trading \u2014 as long as they followed strict rules on capital, risk management, and anti-money-laundering controls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SoFi is now pushing that guidance into new territory by pairing insured fiat accounts with direct crypto access for everyday customers. This model positions banks as real competitors to major crypto exchanges, though the regulatory burden is heavier. Banks must meet tougher liquidity, reporting, and audit requirements than offshore platforms, many of which operate under lighter money-transmitter registrations instead of full financial-sector rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While U.S. banks are only beginning to experiment with retail crypto services, Europe already has several examples in the wild. Revolut Bank<\/strong> enabled in-app crypto trading back in 2017 and later secured a full EU banking license. Other digital banks like N26<\/strong> and Monzo<\/strong> offer similar services across Europe under harmonized e-money and MiCA frameworks, allowing them to expand crypto features across borders more easily than their U.S. counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. banking sector is gradually assembling more pieces of a regulated digital-asset ecosystem. Some notable moves include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As regulated banks step into crypto, the competitive landscape is shifting. Banks bring credibility, direct payment rails, and well-established compliance systems \u2014 advantages that might attract both cautious retail customers and large institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the future may not be a banks-versus-exchanges fight. Many crypto exchanges already depend on banks behind the scenes for custody, settlement, and fiat integration. Now that banks are moving those functions inside the federal regulatory perimeter, the line separating crypto exchange and traditional bank is becoming thinner. In the coming years, that boundary may fade entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA New Banking Perimeter for Digital Assets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Europe\u2019s Head Start<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Traditional Finance Joins the Crypto Buildout<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Banks and Exchanges Head Toward Convergence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n