what's Custodia Bank?
Custodia Bank is a Wyoming-chartered, crypto-native bank founded in 2020 by Caitlin Long, designed as a full-reserve institution to bridge traditional banking with blockchain technology. It focuses on providing secure custody for digital assets, tokenized deposits, and compliant financial services for crypto users, emphasizing regulatory adherence while avoiding fractional reserve lending to minimize risk. The bank has pioneered innovations in stablecoins, including a patent for tokenizing U.S. dollar demand deposits on permissionless blockchains. In collaboration with partners like Vantage Bank, Custodia issued Avit, America's first bank-issued stablecoin on Ethereum, fully backed by real USD deposits. This enables seamless minting, transferring, and redemption of tokens while integrating with traditional banking rails like Fedwire and ACH, all under full BSA/AML/OFAC compliance. Custodia's approach aims to activate new payment rails within the U.S. banking system, fostering blockchain adoption by banks. It handles blockchain operations such as issuance and custody via its Avit Management System, positioning itself as a leader in regulated crypto banking infrastructure.
Wyoming's Custodia Bank partnered with Kraken for Fed payment access, receiving a skinny Fed master account.
Links
x.com/custodiabankReceived a limited ("skinny") Fed master account as a Wyoming digital asset bank.
Partnered with Kraken to provide access to Federal Reserve payment system infrastructure.
Participated in a panel discussion titled "The Future of Crypto Banking" at EthereumDenver conference featuring CEO Caitlin Long.
Received investment from Morgan Creek Digital as part of their blockchain infrastructure and digital innovation investment strategy.
Custodia's Caitlin Long is scheduled to speak at Bitcoin Investor Week in New York City, taking place in February 2026.
Lost final appeal for Federal Reserve master account access; 10th Circuit Court denied en banc rehearing March 13, 2026, by 7-3 vote, upholding Federal Reserve's denial. Case may be considered for Supreme Court review.
Fed Governor Bowman makes a statement with unusually direct language addressing conduct that was previously used against the bank, indicating new policy guidance to prevent such treatment of other institutions.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals rules 2-1 in favor of the Federal Reserve, rejecting the bid to obtain a master account.
Custodia, Vantage Bank, and Infinant launch platform enabling U.S. banks to issue both tokenized deposits and stablecoins on unified infrastructure.
Fed proposes a new "skinny master account" type providing limited direct access to Fed payment rails without borrowing privileges or full master account services, enabling legally eligible institutions to bypass partner bank requirements.
Fed Governor Waller re-opened Fed master account access rules, ending a five-year regulatory battle from Custodia's lawsuit against the Fed, granting access to all legally eligible institutions and crypto companies.
Teases imminent announcement of a convertible tokenized dollar that switches between deposit and stablecoin forms as it moves between holders, with integrated wallet and custody functionality targeting both the $291 billion stablecoin market and $5.6 trillion deposit market.
SBA issues 5,000 letters to banks demanding debanking data and reinstatement of unlawfully closed accounts, including 5 closed accounts pending reopening.
Patent claims could restrict major banks from issuing stablecoins.
CEO joins PublicSquare board; company announces plans for digital asset treasury strategy.
Fed Governor Waller, Chair of Payment System Policy Committee, signals support for equal access to Fed reserves for institutions holding Treasury assets, suggesting potential progress on master account applications.
CEO confirms Operation Chokepoint 2.0 crypto banking crackdown continues despite contrary claims.
Partnered with Vantage Bank to launch the first U.S. bank-issued stablecoin on permissionless blockchain in March 2025.