Japanese bank Nomura seeks US banking license for digital assets.

• Nomura applies for a banking license from the US OCC.
• Laser Digital sight custody and spot negotiation
• US attracts regulated digital asset banks

The race for banking licenses in the United States has gained a new heavyweight player in the cryptocurrency sector. Laser Digital, a subsidiary of the Nomura Group, Japan's largest investment bank, presented A formal request to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to create a national trust bank focused on digital assets.

Based in Switzerland, Laser Digital announced that the proposed institution would be called Laser Digital National Trust Bank. The focus would be on offering custody and spot trading services, primarily serving institutional clients seeking regulated infrastructure to operate with cryptocurrencies on a large scale.

According to the company, the decision reflects a structural shift in the global market. “Institutional digital asset markets are entering a new phase defined by scale, regulation, and durability,” said Steve Ashley, chairman of Laser Digital and chairman-proposed of Laser Digital National Trust Bank, in a statement.

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Ashley further highlighted the strategic importance of the United States in this movement. "The U.S. is the most important financial market in the world, and we believe the next chapter of digital finance will be written by companies that are prepared to operate at this level of rigor and permanence," he continued.

Nomura's initiative comes amid a more receptive regulatory environment from the U.S. Treasury Department for cryptocurrency companies. In recent months, the OCC has granted national fiduciary banking licenses to various digital asset companies, increasing interest in this type of authorization.

In addition to Laser Digital, prominent names in the financial and technology sectors have also filed similar applications. Large trading platforms, technology conglomerates, and global payments companies see the banking license as a way to expand operations in the United States, with direct access to the financial system and greater regulatory predictability.

This movement gained even more traction after US President Donald Trump signed the GENIUS Act last year, which established specific guidelines for activities related to digital assets in the country. Since then, the OCC license has come to be seen as a strategic asset for companies that intend to operate permanently in the American market.

Nomura's entry into this dispute reinforces the interest of large, traditional institutions in consolidating their presence in the cryptocurrency sector under regulated structures. For the market, the trend points towards greater integration between global banks and services linked to digital assets, focusing on scale, compliance, and institutional operations.