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Project Overview
Occam is a multi-chain launchpad and incubator augmented with a suite of DeFi products. Its focus is on interchain DeFi, with a special emphasis on Cardano and Milkomeda.
Fintech company Mercury completes $200 million funding round with participation from a16z and Sequoia Capital
fintech company Mercury has announced the completion of a new $200 million funding round, led by TCV with participation from Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Coatue Management, and other institutions.Mercury primarily provides banking services to startups. It currently serves over 300,000 clients and has achieved approximately $650 million in annualized revenue. The company stated that the recent surge in AI entrepreneurship has significantly driven demand for new company registrations and account openings, serving as a key growth driver.Meanwhile, Mercury also announced that it has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to apply for a federal banking charter. This would enable it to expand lending capabilities, gain access to payment networks like Zelle, and reduce its reliance on partner banks. The company's founder stated that the long-term goal remains an independent IPO rather than an acquisition. (CNBC)
Catena Labs closes $30 million Series A funding round, led by Acrew Capital and a16z crypto
According to Fortune, Catena Labs—founded by Sean Neville, co-founder of Circle—has raised $30 million in its Series A funding round, led by Acrew Capital and a16z crypto, with participation from Breyer Capital, General Catalyst, and QED. Catena Labs focuses on developing tools that enable AI agents to conduct financial transactions securely. The company has applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in New York for a national trust bank charter, seeking regulatory authorization to process payments and hold customer funds. Previously, in 2025, Catena Labs secured an initial $18 million financing round led by a16z crypto.
Zerohash Secures Dual Licenses Under Europe’s MiCA and EMI Frameworks, Becoming the First Compliant Stablecoin Infrastructure Provider
According to The Block, crypto infrastructure provider Zerohash Europe has obtained an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from the Dutch Central Bank (DNB), becoming the first company to hold both a European MiCAR license and EMI authorization. Zerohash previously secured its MiCAR license in October 2025; this dual licensing enables it to legally provide crypto-asset services and process traditional electronic money flows across the European Economic Area (EEA), and to directly serve institutional clients such as banks, brokers, fintech firms, and payment platforms. The company is already collaborating with partners including Interactive Brokers Europe and has applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust bank charter. Additionally, Zerohash is reportedly seeking $250 million in funding at a $1.5 billion valuation.
Gate Ventures: Tech Stocks Hit New Highs Amid Inflationary Pressure, Crypto Market Risk Appetite Recovers
Odaily Odaily News According to the latest weekly report from Gate Ventures, global markets continued to strengthen last week, driven by the technology sector. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq index hit new record highs, with the S&P 500 gaining 2.36% for the week and the Nasdaq rising 4.52%. In the crypto market, BTC rose 4.6% last week, ETH rose 2.1%, spot BTC ETFs recorded net inflows for the fifth consecutive week, and market sentiment recovered to the neutral range. Additionally, the total market cap of cryptocurrencies excluding the top ten assets increased by 12.6% for the week.On the macroeconomic front, the ISM Services Price Index rose to 70.7, a two-year high, coupled with energy price fluctuations and the Federal Reserve's policy expectation of "keeping interest rates higher for longer," leading to increased market focus on a "stagflation" environment. On the industry level, Payward, the parent company of Kraken, has applied to the OCC for a national trust charter, highlighting the increasingly evident trend of industry compliance. In terms of investment and financing, 10 deals were completed last week totaling $34.2 million, primarily concentrated in the DeFi and infrastructure sectors. Among them, OpenTrade completed a $17 million funding round to accelerate the development of institutional-grade stablecoin yield infrastructure; OnRe secured a $5 million Series A round to advance its Solana-based tokenized reinsurance product offerings.
Stablecoin startup bank Augustus receives OCC federal banking charter and completes $40 million funding round
According to Fortune, stablecoin-focused bank Augustus has received a federal banking charter from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), becoming the eighth institution to obtain such a license since 2010. Simultaneously, Augustus closed a $40 million funding round, with investors including Valar Ventures (founded by Peter Thiel), Creandum, and founders of Ramp, Deel, and Circle.
Revolut’s target valuation nearly triples to $20 billion, with a U.S. IPO as early as 2028
According to CoinDesk, citing the Financial Times, Revolut—the largest fintech company in Europe and a crypto-friendly platform—has informed investors that its target valuation range for its IPO is $150 billion to $200 billion, with the earliest possible listing date no earlier than 2028. Previously, in November 2025, the company completed a share sale at a valuation of $75 billion—representing over a 125% increase from that figure. Meanwhile, Revolut is reportedly preparing for a secondary share sale in the second half of 2026, with an expected valuation of approximately $100 billion. Financially, the company’s pre-tax profit for 2025 rose 57% year-on-year to £1.7 billion (approximately $2.3 billion). On the operational front, Revolut obtained a full UK banking license in March this year and has applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a U.S. banking license, accelerating its global market expansion. However, insiders indicate that a formal valuation target has not yet been finalized.
OCC Chief: Only Political Pressure from Democrats Regarding World Liberty's Banking License Application
Today, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee held a hearing with banking regulators, focusing on stablecoin rules and the banking license application of World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture associated with the U.S. President.During the hearing, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould stated that the only political pressure the agency has felt regarding the decision to grant a banking license to World Liberty Financial came from Democrats, and he rejected allegations that the agency was following the President's directives. Additionally, FDIC Chairman Travis Hill indicated that the agency will soon propose a rule requiring stablecoin issuers to implement customer identification procedures. (coindesk)
U.S. Senate Republicans Urge Regulators to Revise Bank Capital Rules for Digital Assets
According to The Block, several Republican U.S. Senators sent a letter to the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), urging the establishment of a new bank capital framework for digital assets.
Digital asset firm Laser Digital has received preliminary conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a federally regulated trust bank.
According to an official announcement, Laser Digital has received preliminary conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Laser Digital National Trust Bank, a federally regulated trust institution that will serve institutional clients. Upon receiving its formal charter, the bank’s scope of operations will include foreign exchange and stablecoin brokerage, cross-margin collateral management for digital and traditional assets, and multi-asset trust custody for tokenized and traditional assets.
Crypto industry pushes back against Senator Warren’s concerns, stating OCC trust charter approvals are legitimate
Odaily报道 The Digital Chamber, a crypto industry group, has responded to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s questions regarding recent approvals of OCC national trust charters, stating that her claim of crypto companies receiving "improper approvals" is unfounded.Earlier, Warren sent a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), arguing that recent approvals granted to digital asset companies such as Ripple, Circle, Paxos, Fidelity, BitGo, and Coinbase may violate the National Bank Act and fail to adhere to the same regulatory standards applied to traditional banks.The Digital Chamber stated that the OCC has the authority to grant national trust charters to qualified institutions, and that such arrangements do not equate to relaxed oversight. Representing over 250 crypto-related entities, the organization believes these charters help integrate digital asset services into a clearer federal regulatory framework.
Crypto Industry Pushes Back Against Warren’s Allegations, Backs OCC’s Granting of Bank Charters to Stablecoin Firms
According to Decrypt, the Digital Chamber sent a letter to Jonathan Gould, Comptroller of the Currency at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), on May 26, urging him to uphold the OCC’s decision to grant national trust bank charters to cryptocurrency firms including Coinbase, Ripple, and Circle. Earlier, Senator Elizabeth Warren had accused the approval of these charters of violating the National Bank Act and posing a threat to the safety of the U.S. banking system. In response, the Digital Chamber argued that Congress has effectively authorized the OCC to extend bank charters to stablecoin-related activities through the GENIUS Act, and that the approved companies do not accept FDIC-insured deposits—meaning their operations do not constitute traditional banking activities.
Fintech company Mercury completes $200 million funding round with participation from a16z and Sequoia Capital
fintech company Mercury has announced the completion of a new $200 million funding round, led by TCV with participation from Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Coatue Management, and other institutions.Mercury primarily provides banking services to startups. It currently serves over 300,000 clients and has achieved approximately $650 million in annualized revenue. The company stated that the recent surge in AI entrepreneurship has significantly driven demand for new company registrations and account openings, serving as a key growth driver.Meanwhile, Mercury also announced that it has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to apply for a federal banking charter. This would enable it to expand lending capabilities, gain access to payment networks like Zelle, and reduce its reliance on partner banks. The company's founder stated that the long-term goal remains an independent IPO rather than an acquisition. (CNBC)
Gate Ventures: Tech Stocks Hit New Highs Amid Inflationary Pressure, Crypto Market Risk Appetite Recovers
Odaily Odaily News According to the latest weekly report from Gate Ventures, global markets continued to strengthen last week, driven by the technology sector. Both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq index hit new record highs, with the S&P 500 gaining 2.36% for the week and the Nasdaq rising 4.52%. In the crypto market, BTC rose 4.6% last week, ETH rose 2.1%, spot BTC ETFs recorded net inflows for the fifth consecutive week, and market sentiment recovered to the neutral range. Additionally, the total market cap of cryptocurrencies excluding the top ten assets increased by 12.6% for the week.On the macroeconomic front, the ISM Services Price Index rose to 70.7, a two-year high, coupled with energy price fluctuations and the Federal Reserve's policy expectation of "keeping interest rates higher for longer," leading to increased market focus on a "stagflation" environment. On the industry level, Payward, the parent company of Kraken, has applied to the OCC for a national trust charter, highlighting the increasingly evident trend of industry compliance. In terms of investment and financing, 10 deals were completed last week totaling $34.2 million, primarily concentrated in the DeFi and infrastructure sectors. Among them, OpenTrade completed a $17 million funding round to accelerate the development of institutional-grade stablecoin yield infrastructure; OnRe secured a $5 million Series A round to advance its Solana-based tokenized reinsurance product offerings.
Morgan Stanley: It will still take time for Bitcoin to enter U.S. bank balance sheets, but preparations are already underway.
According to CoinDesk, Amy Oldenburg, Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Morgan Stanley, stated at the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas that U.S. banks may hold bitcoin on their balance sheets in the future—but the timeline remains uncertain due to guidance from the Federal Reserve, the Basel Accords, and global regulatory requirements. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley’s recently launched MSBT—the first bank-issued bitcoin ETP—drew over $100 million in inflows within its first six days of listing, all sourced exclusively from self-directed investment channels and not yet made available to financial advisors. Oldenburg noted that slow adoption by the advisor channel stems primarily from an education gap; the bank has initiated internal training programs to address this and is applying for a digital trust charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to support direct custody of crypto assets and spot crypto trading services.
Catena Labs closes $30 million Series A funding round, led by Acrew Capital and a16z crypto
According to Fortune, Catena Labs—founded by Sean Neville, co-founder of Circle—has raised $30 million in its Series A funding round, led by Acrew Capital and a16z crypto, with participation from Breyer Capital, General Catalyst, and QED. Catena Labs focuses on developing tools that enable AI agents to conduct financial transactions securely. The company has applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in New York for a national trust bank charter, seeking regulatory authorization to process payments and hold customer funds. Previously, in 2025, Catena Labs secured an initial $18 million financing round led by a16z crypto.
Morgan Stanley: It will still take time for Bitcoin to enter U.S. bank balance sheets, but preparations are already underway.
According to CoinDesk, Amy Oldenburg, Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Morgan Stanley, stated at the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas that U.S. banks may hold bitcoin on their balance sheets in the future—but the timeline remains uncertain due to guidance from the Federal Reserve, the Basel Accords, and global regulatory requirements. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley’s recently launched MSBT—the first bank-issued bitcoin ETP—drew over $100 million in inflows within its first six days of listing, all sourced exclusively from self-directed investment channels and not yet made available to financial advisors. Oldenburg noted that slow adoption by the advisor channel stems primarily from an education gap; the bank has initiated internal training programs to address this and is applying for a digital trust charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to support direct custody of crypto assets and spot crypto trading services.
a16z: Stablecoins Are Reshaping Global Financial Infrastructure, Accelerating the Arrival of a New On-Chain Finance Era
A research report released by a16z Crypto states that stablecoins have evolved from niche trading tools into the foundational layer of a new global financial infrastructure, giving rise to a new generation of “Banking-as-a-Service” (BaaS) models. Unlike the previous wave of BaaS, this new model is built on onchain infrastructure and integrates account management, payments, foreign exchange, and credit functions via self-custodial wallets—significantly reducing reliance on traditional intermediaries. The report classifies blockchains into three categories: general-purpose public chains (e.g., Solana and Ethereum), purpose-built chains optimized for payment use cases (e.g., Stripe’s Tempo and Circle’s Arc), and compliance-focused networks designed for regulated institutions (e.g., Canton). On the regulatory front, following the passage of the GENIUS Act, stablecoin issuers are competing aggressively for national trust charters from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), aiming to gain direct access to the Federal Reserve’s payment rails and secure a central position within the payments stack. The report also notes that stablecoins have made significant progress in the “middle mile” of cross-border payments; however, liquidity bottlenecks between stablecoins and local fiat currencies remain unresolved in emerging markets. Looking ahead, as stablecoin scale grows, the onchain credit market is poised to become the next major opportunity after payments—providing capital to borrowers underserved by traditional financial systems. Moreover, the widespread adoption of stablecoins is expected to further reinforce the U.S. dollar’s global dominance.
Related news
OCC Chief: Only Political Pressure from Democrats Regarding World Liberty's Banking License Application
Today, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee held a hearing with banking regulators, focusing on stablecoin rules and the banking license application of World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture associated with the U.S. President.During the hearing, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould stated that the only political pressure the agency has felt regarding the decision to grant a banking license to World Liberty Financial came from Democrats, and he rejected allegations that the agency was following the President's directives. Additionally, FDIC Chairman Travis Hill indicated that the agency will soon propose a rule requiring stablecoin issuers to implement customer identification procedures. (coindesk)
U.S. Senate Republicans Urge Regulators to Revise Bank Capital Rules for Digital Assets
According to The Block, several Republican U.S. Senators sent a letter to the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), urging the establishment of a new bank capital framework for digital assets.
Digital asset firm Laser Digital has received preliminary conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a federally regulated trust bank.
According to an official announcement, Laser Digital has received preliminary conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Laser Digital National Trust Bank, a federally regulated trust institution that will serve institutional clients. Upon receiving its formal charter, the bank’s scope of operations will include foreign exchange and stablecoin brokerage, cross-margin collateral management for digital and traditional assets, and multi-asset trust custody for tokenized and traditional assets.
Crypto industry pushes back against Senator Warren’s concerns, stating OCC trust charter approvals are legitimate
Odaily报道 The Digital Chamber, a crypto industry group, has responded to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s questions regarding recent approvals of OCC national trust charters, stating that her claim of crypto companies receiving "improper approvals" is unfounded.Earlier, Warren sent a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), arguing that recent approvals granted to digital asset companies such as Ripple, Circle, Paxos, Fidelity, BitGo, and Coinbase may violate the National Bank Act and fail to adhere to the same regulatory standards applied to traditional banks.The Digital Chamber stated that the OCC has the authority to grant national trust charters to qualified institutions, and that such arrangements do not equate to relaxed oversight. Representing over 250 crypto-related entities, the organization believes these charters help integrate digital asset services into a clearer federal regulatory framework.
Crypto Industry Pushes Back Against Warren’s Allegations, Backs OCC’s Granting of Bank Charters to Stablecoin Firms
According to Decrypt, the Digital Chamber sent a letter to Jonathan Gould, Comptroller of the Currency at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), on May 26, urging him to uphold the OCC’s decision to grant national trust bank charters to cryptocurrency firms including Coinbase, Ripple, and Circle. Earlier, Senator Elizabeth Warren had accused the approval of these charters of violating the National Bank Act and posing a threat to the safety of the U.S. banking system. In response, the Digital Chamber argued that Congress has effectively authorized the OCC to extend bank charters to stablecoin-related activities through the GENIUS Act, and that the approved companies do not accept FDIC-insured deposits—meaning their operations do not constitute traditional banking activities.
Fintech company Mercury completes $200 million funding round with participation from a16z and Sequoia Capital
fintech company Mercury has announced the completion of a new $200 million funding round, led by TCV with participation from Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Coatue Management, and other institutions.Mercury primarily provides banking services to startups. It currently serves over 300,000 clients and has achieved approximately $650 million in annualized revenue. The company stated that the recent surge in AI entrepreneurship has significantly driven demand for new company registrations and account openings, serving as a key growth driver.Meanwhile, Mercury also announced that it has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to apply for a federal banking charter. This would enable it to expand lending capabilities, gain access to payment networks like Zelle, and reduce its reliance on partner banks. The company's founder stated that the long-term goal remains an independent IPO rather than an acquisition. (CNBC)