“House Overwhelmingly Passes Sweeping Bipartisan Housing Package”
The Housing for the 21st Century Act, which pairs housing-supply measures with a number of community banking provisions, passed the House Monday in a 390-9 vote. The Senate has already approved its own housing bill without those banking riders, setting up negotiations to reconcile the two versions. Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, has said she opposes linking what she calls deregulatory measures to housing relief.
“Erebor Bank Receives National Bank Charter”
The OCC approved a national bank charter for Erebor, the first new national bank chartered under the Trump administration. Founded by Palmer Luckey, the bank aims to serve startups and high-net-worth individuals in the crypto, AI, defense, and manufacturing sectors. It must maintain a minimum 12% tier 1 leverage ratio for its first three years.
“It’s Time For Banks To Get Serious About ‘Relationship Banking.’ Here’s How”
Banks often use “relationship banking” as a label rather than an operating standard, but real relationships are judged by consistent actions over time, this article says. To compete with larger institutions, community and regional banks should consider using technology to preserve context and continuity as interactions shift to digital channels.
“Your Customers Will Blame You When Their Shopping Bots Go Rogue”
Agentic commerce is gaining traction, with GenAI-powered shopping up nearly 700% during the 2025 holiday season compared with 2024. A new Consumer Bankers Association white paper warns banks will be on the hook when those transactions go wrong, raising questions about liability protections and highlighting rising dispute, fraud, and compliance risks as adoption grows.
“Responsible Lending In An AI-Enabled Banking Environment”
Banks adopting AI for lending should start with clear business objectives and measurable outcomes before implementing any new tools, according to this article. They must also be able to explain how models reach decisions, a requirement for earning trust from customers and satisfying regulators.
“What Last Week’s Crypto Crash Can Teach Us About Stablecoins’ Value”
The recent crypto selloff highlighted that a stablecoin’s promised $1 value can diverge from its market price during stress. Estimates suggest up to 99% of dollar-backed stablecoins are used primarily for crypto trading, not everyday payments, underscoring how closely their stability is tied to crypto market conditions.
“U.S. Banks Wrestle With Regulation Amid Rising AI Spend”
U.S. banks are farther along in putting AI to work than their global peers, with 65% of AI use cases in active deployment compared to 61% worldwide. Meanwhile, 42% of U.S. financial services firms plan to boost AI spending by more than 50% this year, though half of the executives surveyed said regulatory and compliance requirements are slowing broader adoption.
In Other News
Big jobs revisions and January’s jobs report show the labor market shifting toward healthcare and social services and away from government and some white-collar sectors, the uber-rich are turning their mansions into fortresses, and Politico’s Morning Money examines the pressures weighing on the U.S. dollar.