ICBA Sues OCC Over Crypto Trust Bank Charters

According to BlockchainReporter, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) filed a lawsuit against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The suit challenges the regulator's authority to grant national trust bank charters to cryptocurrency companies.

Reported by BlockchainReporter, the complaint argues that digital asset firms are entering the banking system without the safeguards required of community banks. Brought under the Administrative Procedure Act, the lawsuit centers on a March 2, 2026 final rule tied to Interpretive Letter No. 1176. ICBA asks the court to declare both unlawful and to vacate the conditionally approved trust charter of Protego Holdings Corp. The trade group notes the OCC has also produced trust charters for Bastion, Coinbase, and Circle.

ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey stated that Congress did not create the national trust charter as a side door into the banking system for crypto firms. The OCC stated through a spokesperson that it does not comment on litigation.