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Custodia Bank seeks Supreme Court review of Fed master account denial
The Blockchain Association has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Custodia Bank, a Wyoming-based digital asset firm. The bank is challenging the Federal Reserve's denial of its application for a master account, which would provide direct access to the central bank's payment systems, including Fedwire and the Automated Clearing House.
Custodia Bank originally applied for the account in October 2020, but the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City denied the request in January 2023, citing concerns regarding the bank's digital asset business model. Following losses in lower courts and a denied rehearing by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, Custodia has petitioned the Supreme Court to review whether the Federal Reserve has unlimited discretion to deny such access to eligible state-chartered banks.
The Blockchain Association argues that the Monetary Control Act of 1980 requires the Fed to provide services to eligible nonmember banks and warns that the current regulatory approach could be used to systematically exclude the digital asset industry from the banking system. The case comes as some other crypto-related firms, such as Kraken Financial, have obtained varying levels of access to Federal Reserve services.
Entities
Blockchain Association · Custodia Bank · Federal Reserve · Kraken Financial · U.S. Supreme Court
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Fed's decision to deny the account. koinbulteni.com · bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · cryptonomist.ch · cointelegraph.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Blockchain Association filed an amicus brief supporting Custodia Bank’s petition for Supreme Court review. koinbulteni.com · newsbit.nl · bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · cryptobriefing.com · +3 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Blockchain Association argues the Monetary Control Act requires the Fed to provide services to eligible nonmember banks. koinbulteni.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · cryptobriefing.com · cointelegraph.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] The Kansas City Fed denied Custodia Bank’s master account application in January 2023. koinbulteni.com · newsbit.nl · bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · cryptobriefing.com · +3 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] Kraken Financial was granted limited-purpose master account access in March 2026. koinbulteni.com · newsbit.nl · www.cryptobreaking.com · cryptonomist.ch · cointelegraph.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] Custodia Bank applied for a Federal Reserve master account in October 2020. koinbulteni.com · newsbit.nl · bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.cryptobreaking.com · cryptobriefing.com · +3 more