World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform backed by former President Donald Trump, has not yet received final approval for a federal bank charter from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, despite reports of an imminent decision.
The company applied for the charter in January 2026. As of mid-June, the OCC had not issued a final decision, according to reporting from multiple sources tracking the application. A federal bank charter would allow World Liberty Financial to offer deposit-taking and lending services with direct access to the Federal Reserve's payment system.
World Liberty Financial has positioned itself as a decentralized finance platform tied to Trump family interests. The charter application marked an attempt to move the operation into the regulated banking system rather than operate as an unchartered crypto firm. Federal bank charters are granted by the OCC, an independent bureau of the Treasury Department. The approval process typically involves public comment periods and regulatory scrutiny of the applicant's capital, governance, and compliance systems.
No OCC announcement or official statement confirming final approval has been located in primary sources. Companies often communicate expected timelines internally while regulators maintain separate review schedules. The gap between company expectations and regulatory timelines has delayed other crypto-related banking applications in the past.
World Liberty Financial would face ongoing compliance requirements if chartered, including regular stress testing, anti-money-laundering controls, and consumer protection obligations. The charter would not exempt the platform from Securities and Exchange Commission oversight if its products contain securities, nor from Commodity Futures Trading Commission jurisdiction over derivatives offerings.
A charter approval would mark one of the first instances of a major crypto platform obtaining federally insured depository status. The OCC has historically been cautious about crypto-related charters, citing operational risk and limited track records. The decision on World Liberty Financial will likely set precedent for how the regulator evaluates future applications from crypto firms seeking banking infrastructure.
The document to watch is an official OCC approval letter or public notice confirming World Liberty Financial's charter status; absent that primary source, the application remains under review.
