Zerohash returns to the OCC with a revised trust-bank application

The OCC's public application record from February shows what the first effort sought: a de novo national trust bank in Asheville, North Carolina, without FDIC deposit insurance, offering digital-asset custody, custodial staking, transfer-agent services, trade execution, stablecoin management and settlement-related services if approved.

What is confirmed, and what is not

Zerohash's first-party announcement on March 4 confirmed the original charter application and said the company wanted a federal framework for stablecoin and digital-asset infrastructure. The OCC document confirms the earlier public filing and the proposed non-depository trust-bank structure.

The revised filing reported by CoinDesk is not an approval. The OCC's decision to grant, deny or condition the new application remains a separate step, and a trust-bank charter would not by itself make Zerohash a deposit-taking bank or give its customer accounts FDIC or SIPC protection.

The broader charter race

The new application comes as crypto infrastructure companies and financial institutions seek federal charters for custody, settlement and stablecoin-related services. The OCC said in August that it had received 40 applications for new bank charters in the previous 18 months, more than half involving some form of digital-asset activity.

For Zerohash, the immediate milestone is a public decision on the revised proposal. Until then, the supportable claim is that the company is making another charter attempt, not that it has become a national trust bank.