The Federal Reserve announced in a press release issued on Friday the discontinuation of its “novel activities” supervision program, which was established to monitor banks’ interactions with crypto and fintech sectors. Instead, the central bank will now incorporate this oversight into its conventional bank supervision framework, aligning with President Donald Trump’s goal to make America the “crypto capital of the world” with new regulatory frameworks for digital assets. Fed Abandons Crypto Supervision Program Launched in 2023, the program aimed to scrutinize how banks engage with emerging technologies, particularly in the digital asset industry that faced significant restrictions from regulators under the past administrations. However, the Federal Reserve has determined that the specialized program is no longer necessary, citing a strengthened comprehension of the risks involved and how banks manage these challenges. Market expert MartyParty commented on this development in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), describing it as the definitive end of what many referred to as the operation “Choke Point,” what many called a co-ordinated effort by the federal government to debank the crypto industry. New Approach To Regulation? In its press release the central bank asserted that since the inception of the supervisory program, the Federal Reserve has gained valuable insights into digital asset and fintech activities, as well as the risk management practices employed by banks. It is believed that this enhanced understanding has led to the decision to fold these supervisory responsibilities back into the standard regulatory process, effectively rescinding the supervisory letter that established the program. This could be seen as a win for the broader digital asset market, as it could effectively enhance the adoption of crypto assets, especially stablecoins, by banks such as Morgan Stanley and Citigroup, which are increasingly interested in entering this financial sector. Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com
