“The Trump Official Ushering Crypto Into the Banking System”
OCC Comptroller Jonathan Gould is advancing efforts to grant bank charters to crypto and fintech firms, including national trust structures that could open access to Fed payment rails. Gould says he wants to encourage innovation and de novo formation, but banks remain concerned about uneven oversight and competition.
“There’s Always a Housing Angle”
Rising oil prices tied to geopolitical conflict have pushed Treasury yields higher, driving mortgage rates back above 6% and stalling housing momentum. The shift shows how quickly rate-sensitive sectors can reverse course, with affordability and demand already under pressure.
Last week, President Trump signed executive orders to reduce regulatory constraints on mortgage lending, adjust capital rules, and expand community bank participation. Meanwhile, the path to legislative reform remains murky. Brendan Pedersen, financial services policy reporter at Punchbowl News, joined Banking with Interest this week to discuss the outlook.
“FDIC Mulling Guardrails for Banks, Public Blockchains”
The FDIC is considering formal guidance to define how banks can engage with public blockchains, particularly with respect to customer identification and privacy. The effort signals a shift from the Biden administration’s more restrictive framework, though key risk and compliance questions remain.
“Anti-Fraud Practices Your Bank Should Teach Every Small Business Customer”
Fraud is becoming a continuous operational issue for small businesses, driven by business email compromise, check fraud, and AI-enabled scams. Effective prevention depends less on standalone tools and more on embedding behavioral controls into daily workflows, positioning banks as active partners in clients’ risk management.
“Banks Struggle to Scale AI as Legacy Tech Devours IT Budgets”
More than 80% of banking executives say that new technology initiatives are not delivering revenue gains, while legacy systems continue to consume the largest share of IT budgets, according to a new report. The imbalance is limiting banks’ ability to move AI efforts beyond pilot stages despite rising client expectations.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled high uncertainty around the economic outlook following the latest FOMC meeting as an oil shock from the Iran conflict pushes inflation risks higher. “The economic effects could be bigger, they could be smaller, they could be much smaller or much bigger,” he said. “We just don’t know.”
“Why Banks’ Personalization Efforts Keep Stalling at Segmentation”
Siloed data, legacy infrastructure, and compliance constraints are forcing banks to rely on broad customer segmentation, even as consumers show willingness to accept more tailored experiences, this article says.
In Other News
The gross national debt hit $39 trillion, the war in Iran continues to escalate, and the Oscars were this past weekend—but was anyone watching?
Thanks for reading.