U.S. Regulator OCC Clarifies How Banks Can Handle Network 'Gas Fees'

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released interpretive letter No. 1186, clarifying that national banks it oversees are permitted to hold digital assets on their balance sheets if those assets are reasonably required for their operations, specifically to cover blockchain network "gas fees." Since blockchain transactions often require a specific native token as a fee, banks facilitating crypto activities, such as acting as an agent for customers or in custody operations, can hold the necessary crypto assets. The OCC concluded this practice is permissible for banks anticipating a reasonably foreseeable need to pay these network fees to facilitate otherwise permissible crypto-asset activities. This move reflects a shift by the agency, now led by Trump appointee Jonathan Gould, toward allowing regulated banks to engage in digital asset activities.

(Source：CoinDesk)