[US OCC Director: No Reason to Treat Banks and Crypto Companies Differently] According to Cointelegraph, Jonathan Gould, Director of the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), stated that cryptocurrency companies seeking a U.S. federal banking license should be treated the same as other financial institutions. Speaking at a blockchain conference on Monday, he mentioned that new license applicants in the digital or fintech sectors could be seen as providing innovative services for national trust banks, and custody and safekeeping services have already been conducted electronically for years. There is no reason to treat digital assets differently, nor should banks be confined to outdated technologies and business models. Gould emphasized that the banking system has the ability to evolve from the telegraph era to the blockchain era. So far this year, the OCC has received 14 new bank charter applications, some of which are from entities engaged in innovative or digital asset-related businesses. This number is nearly on par with similar applications over the past four years. Issuing licenses helps the banking system keep pace with developments in the financial industry and supports the modern economy. Entities involved in digital assets and other emerging technologies should have pathways to become federally regulated banks.