Yes, Morgan Stanley applied for an OCC national trust bank charter
Morgan Stanley has applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a de novo national trust bank charter to support crypto asset custody, as reported by Bloomberg. A de novo trust charter would create a new, OCC‑supervised national trust bank dedicated to fiduciary and safekeeping functions rather than full commercial lending.
The filing is an application, not an approval, and it will be evaluated under the OCC’s chartering process, which focuses on capitalization, governance, risk management, operational resilience, and compliance. If granted, the charter would position a Morgan Stanley subsidiary to hold digital assets in a regulated bank-trust framework subject to federal oversight.
What this charter enables for crypto custody and client access
If approved, the charter would allow a national trust bank subsidiary to offer digital-asset custody and related fiduciary services within bank-level controls. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, investment advisers must safeguard client crypto with “qualified custodians,” a category that national banks and certain trust banks are generally positioned to meet when they maintain required controls.
The application aligns with the firm’s buildout of crypto-related capabilities and is intended to support partnerships that expand institutional access, as reported by American Banker. In practice, a national trust bank could centralize wallet management, segregation of assets, and reconciliation processes, which may streamline adviser onboarding and platform integrations under a single supervisory regime.
Industry coverage frames the move as part of a broader institutional expansion into digital assets. “Morgan Stanley files for a crypto national trust bank with the OCC, signaling major institutional digital asset expansion,” as reported by CoinGape.
At the time of this writing, Bitcoin (BTC) traded around $65,613 with high 9.08% volatility, a neutral RSI near 42, and overall bearish sentiment, based on data from CryptoBriefing. These market conditions provide context but do not affect the OCC’s prudential review standards for custody operations.
Filing details and entity: Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, National Association
The proposed entity is Morgan Stanley Digital Trust, National Association (N.A.), according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The N.A. designation indicates a federally chartered trust bank subject to OCC examination, reporting, and ongoing supervision.
Operationally, a national trust bank structure allows crypto custody to be performed in either fiduciary or non‑fiduciary capacity, with formal policies covering segregation of client assets, key management, business continuity, and BSA/AML controls. The precise scope of services, including any sub‑custody or staking‑related functions, would remain contingent on final terms and supervisory feedback during and after the chartering process.
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