Nomura-backed Laser Digital secures conditional approval for US banking license

By Utkarsh Shetti

May 29 (Reuters) - ‌Nomura's digital asset ​subsidiary ​Laser Digital has secured conditional approval for a national trust bank charter, becoming the latest firm to benefit from the Trump ‌administration's crypto-friendly stance.

The move would allow it to hold and ⁠administer tokenized, digital and conventional assets in the U.S. under federal supervision upon receiving a ‌full sign-off from the Office ‌of the Comptroller of the Currency, Laser Digital said in a statement to Reuters.

Full approval is contingent on the firm satisfying certain conditions, including ​minimum capital requirements. Laser Digital does not intend to take deposits or provide lending services.

Headquartered in Zurich, Laser Digital was spun out of ⁠Nomura in 2022 and primarily serves institutions by facilitating crypto trading and providing exposure to the asset ​class, with more than $250 million under management.

Laser Digital National Trust Bank, the subsidiary that will operate in the U.S., aims ​to help clients move money across traditional ‌currencies, stablecoins and other digital assets, handle cross-border payments and manage collateral across crypto and traditional markets.

Clarity around crypto ⁠legislation from policies such as the GENIUS Act has helped boost institutional confidence in stablecoins and tokenized assets by moving the U.S. closer to a formal regulatory ⁠framework.

The shift is evident as digital assets have gained mainstream prominence, drawing sizable investments in ​related infrastructure from legacy firms across the financial industry.

BNY, the world's largest custodian bank, launched a tokenized deposit service earlier this year, drawing interest from New York Stock ‌Exchange parent Intercontinental Exchange and trading firm Citadel Securities.

The boom has also spurred more firms to seek a national ‌trust bank charter. At least 15 applications for bank charters overseen by the ⁠OCC have been submitted by digital ‌asset-related firms since the ​start of 2025, according to data compiled by S&P Global.

(Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid and ‌Shreya Biswas)

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