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Galaxy Digital Pursues National Trust Bank Charter for US Expansion

Galaxy Digital has applied for a US national trust bank charter to enhance its regulated financial services offerings.

Galaxy Digital has applied for a US national trust bank charter to enhance its regulated financial services offerings. This is an original Token Times brief synthesising 2 outlets (CoinEdition, Cryptopolitan), plus live market data, as of Fri, 30 Oct 2026 08:00:02 UTC.

Why it matters

This move aims to position Galaxy Digital as a major regulated player in US crypto custody and financial services, potentially expanding its institutional reach and credibility.

Covered by 2 outlets over about 1.5 h — Token Times synthesises them all into one brief
  1. Cryptopolitan
    Galaxy seeks its own trust bank charter, four years after dropping BitGo ↗
  2. CoinEdition
    Galaxy Digital Seeks US National Trust Bank Charter to Expand Crypto Services ↗
Key takeaways
  • Galaxy Digital seeks US national trust bank charter through OCC application.
  • The company previously tried to gain regulated custody via BitGo acquisition in 2021.
  • Galaxy TVL stands at $117.23M, down 10% in the past week.
What the reporting agrees on

Both CoinEdition and Cryptopolitan report that Galaxy Digital has applied for a national trust bank charter from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). They agree that this application is a strategic move to expand the company's regulated financial services offerings. However, Cryptopolitan provides additional context about Galaxy's previous attempt to gain regulated custody through acquiring BitGo in 2021, which was ultimately unsuccessful as BitGo secured its own federal charter first.

The story so far · 3 briefs
  1. Ramp Seeks OCC Trust Bank Charter for Crypto Custody Services
  2. Ripple Receives US Approval for National Trust Bank Operations
  3. Galaxy Digital Pursues National Trust Bank Charter for US Expansion — this brief

Galaxy Digital, a prominent crypto financial services firm, has formally applied for a US national trust bank charter through its subsidiary, Galaxy Digital LP. The application was submitted to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), according to multiple outlets.

This initiative represents Galaxy's latest effort to strengthen its position in the regulated financial sector. The company has been actively seeking ways to expand its offerings in crypto custody and related services, which require robust regulatory approvals.

Notably, this is not Galaxy's first attempt to gain regulated custody capabilities. In 2021, the company attempted to acquire BitGo, a leading crypto custodian, but the deal fell through when BitGo secured its own federal charter first.

The application comes at a time when regulatory scrutiny of the crypto industry is intensifying. A successful charter would allow Galaxy to operate as a national bank, potentially enhancing its credibility and opening new business opportunities.

Market data shows the total crypto market cap at $2.7T, with Bitcoin down 1.70% in the past 24 hours. Galaxy's DeFi TVL is currently $117.23M, representing a 10% decrease over the last week. The overall market sentiment, as measured by the Fear & Greed Index, remains in 'Fear' territory at 30.

The market when this published · October 29, 2026
Total market cap₹257.38T
Bitcoin 24h-1.70%
Ethereum 24h-2.60%
BTC dominance58.5%
Fear & Greed30 · Fear
On-chain & primary-source check

Figures and sectors in this story, checked live against on-chain aggregators · October 30, 2026.

Galaxy TVL$117.23M-10.0% 7dDeFiLlama ↗
Bitcoin DeFi TVL$6.06BDeFiLlama ↗

Token Times reads these figures directly from on-chain aggregators (DeFiLlama, mempool.space) at build time — independent of what any outlet reported. Sector totals aggregate every protocol DeFiLlama tracks in that category. Values are live and will change.

Galaxy Digital Pursues National Trust Bank Charter for US Ex — questions & answers

What is a national trust bank charter?

It is a regulatory approval that allows a financial institution to operate as a national bank, offering services like custody and fiduciary services under federal oversight.

Why did Galaxy Digital apply for this charter?

The charter would enable Galaxy to expand its regulated financial services and strengthen its position in the US market.

What happened with Galaxy's BitGo acquisition?

Galaxy attempted to acquire BitGo in 2021 but the deal failed when BitGo secured its own federal charter.

Which outlets reported this story?

This is an original Token Times brief that synthesises reporting from CoinEdition, Cryptopolitan, with the key figures cross-checked for agreement across them. It is not a copy of any one article — follow the source links above for the original reporting.

Token Times Newsdesk Data-stamped

Token Times's newsdesk writes original briefs by synthesising coverage from across the crypto press — 50+ outlets including CoinDesk, The Block, Decrypt and Cointelegraph — cross-checking the figures they report — and verifying them against on-chain data from DeFiLlama and mempool.space — plus live market context (CoinGecko, Binance). We summarise and link to every source; we never reproduce full articles. Read our editorial standards and how we use AI. Not financial advice.

Market data verified against CoinGecko & Binance · October 30, 2026 ⛓ Timestamped at Bitcoin block #973,785 sha256:47194cdcfc1f758b
Corroborated across 2 outlets, reported over about 1.5 h — this is an original Token Times summary with live market data, not the original article.Cryptopolitan · Oct 29 14:56 ↗CoinEdition · Oct 29 16:26 ↗

Original summary — not financial advice. This is an original Token Times brief that summarises a development reported elsewhere and adds live market data for context; it is not the original article and reproduces no part of it. Follow the source link above for full details. Crypto is volatile and high-risk — always do your own research.