InfoBytes Blog
Senators ask federal agencies about banks’ ties to crypto firms
On December 7, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Tina Smith (D-MN) sent letters to the heads of the Federal Reserve Board, FDIC, and OCC seeking information on how the agencies assess risks associated with banks’ relationships with cryptocurrency firms. The senators expressed concerns related to recent revelations that “crypto may be more integrated into the banking system than regulators are aware.” The senators asked the agencies a series of questions, including (i) whether the regulators plan to conduct a review of crypto firms’ relationships with banks; (ii) the names of regulated banks engaged in crypto-related activities, such as providing crypto custody services and acting as nodes to verify customer payments; and (iii) the estimated total dollar volume for each specific activity per bank. The responses were requested by December 21.