FDIC clairfies process for banks to engage in crypto-related activities

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued a Financial Institution Letter that provides new guidance for FDIC-supervised institutions engaging or seeking to engage in crypto-related activities. The new guidance, which rescinds FIL-16-2022, clarifies that FDIC-supervised institutions may engage in permissible crypto-related activities without receiving prior FDIC approval. The guidance affirms that FDIC-supervised institutions may engage in permissible activities, including activities involving new and emerging technologies such as crypto-assets and digital assets, provided that they adequately manage the associated risks. “With today’s action, the FDIC is turning the page on the flawed approach of the past three years,” said FDIC Acting Chairman Travis Hill. “I expect this to be one of several steps the FDIC will take to lay out a new approach for how banks can engage in crypto- and blockchain-related activities in accordance with safety and soundness standards.” Publicly traded companies in the space include Bank of America (BAC), Citi (C), Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan (JPM), Morgan Stanley (MS), U.S. Bancorp (USB) and Wells Fargo (WFC).