Why the First US Crypto Bank Is a Big Deal

Kraken became the first crypto exchange to win a U.S. banking license this week. Here’s why that matters.

AccessTimeIconSep 19, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 9:58 a.m. UTC
AccessTimeIconSep 19, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. UTCUpdated Sep 14, 2021 at 9:58 a.m. UTC
AccessTimeIconSep 19, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. UTCUpdated Sep 14, 2021 at 9:58 a.m. UTC

Kraken became the first crypto exchange to win a U.S. banking license this week. Here’s why that matters. 

For more episodes and free early access before our regular daily releases, subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, iHeartRadio or RSS.

This episode is sponsored by Crypto.comBitstamp and Nexo.io.

On this edition of The Breakdown weekly recap, NLW looks at:

  • DEXetition – Uniswap’s battle with SushiSwap heats up as the former dropped the UNI governance token in what some likened to a crypto stimulus check 
  • The Fed has no clothes – After another FOMC meeting of “nothing new,” the mirage of Federal Reserve omnipotence is fading
  • TikTok and WeChat banned from U.S. app stores – Is it just a negotiating technique? Whatever the case, people are not happy
  • Kraken becomes a bank – What it means now that Kraken has been approved for a Wyoming Special Purpose Depository Institution charter

This week on The Breakdown:

For more episodes and free early access before our regular daily releases, subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, iHeartRadio or RSS.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.


DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.