Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, has applied for a national trust company charter with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The filing seeks to expand regulated custody services for digital assets. It builds on the firm's existing Wyoming banking subsidiary.
Payward filed the application on Friday, according to an announcement shared with CoinDesk. If approved, the charter would create Payward National Trust Company, a federally regulated entity offering fiduciary custody and related services focused on digital assets for institutions and customers seeking bank-level protections under OCC oversight.