
The OCC pulled an Oprah and crypto showed up with a shopping list. Circle, Ripple, and BitGo all scored U.S. banking charters in the same week, signaling a major shift in how regulators view crypto-native firms. We break down what each approval actually means, why stablecoins just got more legitimate, how Ripple’s long game finally paid off, and why crypto custody is suddenly the hottest boring business in fintech. Plus: where Paxos and Fidelity fit into the quiet power shift happening inside U.S. finance.