Senate Confirms Gould as OCC Chair Amid Crypto Shift

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Jonathan Gould, a former BitFury executive and previous OCC chief counsel, as the new Chair of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in a 50-45 vote. Gould's leadership is expected to advance a more crypto-friendly regulatory environment, including support for crypto custody by banks and stablecoin adoption. His appointment aligns with President Trump’s effort to reshape financial regulators toward lighter oversight and greater digital asset adoption. Critics warn that concentrating crypto oversight federally could pose risks if future administrations change direction. Gould has stressed the importance of nondiscrimination in banking and prudent, innovation-driven risk management. Congress is also expediting stablecoin legislation as the OCC clarifies banks’ authority to handle crypto assets and removes reputation risk from regulatory guidance.