Protego’s conditional national bank status expired without approval: Report

2 years ago

In a week erstwhile the crypto manufacture – and the remainder of the satellite – was beset by atrocious quality astir banking, 1 much banking setback has travel to light.

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Institutional cryptocurrency custodian Protego’s conditional nationalist spot banking charter has expired without it receiving imperishable approval, according to a study successful Fortune connected March 17. Protego failed to conscionable pre-conversion requirements, the mag reported.

A spokesperson for the United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) told Fortune that the steadfast did not conscionable pre-conversion requirements. According to the spokesperson:

“[The] pre-conversion requirements included policies, procedures, systems and different measures to guarantee the harmless and dependable cognition of the slope arsenic good arsenic gathering minimum superior and liquidity requirements.”

Protego, based successful Washington state, was granted an 18-month conditional charter from the successful February 2021, and it was extended once. Under a conditional charter, an enactment cannot judge deposits. An unnamed root told Fortune that Protego had lined up agreements connected the indispensable financing to conscionable charter requirements by the Feb. 4 deadline, but it did not person a steadfast reply astir its charter.

An OOC bulletin dated March 5-11 listed Protego and indicated that clip had expired connected its conversion connected February 4.

Related: 89% inactive spot centralized custodians contempt 2022’s collapses: Survey

Protego laminitis and enforcement seat Greg Gilman said successful an interrogation with Fortune that helium felt Protego had met the financing request and the institution could either reapply to the OCC, which is simply a part of the national Treasury Department, oregon use to authorities authorities to run arsenic a stet bank.

SCOOP: The OCC says the crypto steadfast Protego did not conscionable the requirements to person into a nationalist spot bank, different monolithic setback for the crypto manufacture arsenic its banking options dwindle:https://t.co/WdopSyOdZS

— Leo Schwartz (@leomschwartz) March 17, 2023

A national charter would person allowed Protego to custody integer assets and execute credentialling functions, specified arsenic Know Your Customer measures. At present, Anchorage Bank is the lone crypto steadfast to person a nationalist banking charter.

Custodia Bank was denied a spot successful the Federal Reserve strategy connected Feb. 23. Paxos besides received a conditional nationalist trust slope charter successful 2021. A spokesperson said that institution “continues to enactment constructively with the OCC” connected its pending application.

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