Tyler Winklevoss, one of the crypto-friendly banks in the US, Customers Bancorp, is under pressure from the Federal Reserve, which has restricted its ability to provide banking services to crypto companies. The Federal Reserve mandates this bank to notify 30 days in advance before establishing a relationship with a new crypto company, limiting the operational capabilities of crypto banks. This situation has caused significant dissatisfaction within the crypto community.
Strict Supervision on Crypto-Friendly Banks
The Federal Reserve has imposed a sanction on Customers Bancorp, one of the crypto-friendly banks in the US, citing serious deficiencies in the bank’s risk management and anti-money laundering measures. This decision significantly restricts the bank’s ability to provide services to crypto companies.
Specifically, the requirement to notify 30 days in advance before establishing a relationship with a new crypto company limits the bank’s maneuverability. The crypto community views this as a severe blow to the industry’s development.
Strong Reactions from the Crypto Community
Tyler Winklevoss, one of the founders of Gemini, strongly reacted to this decision by the Federal Reserve. Banks like Customers Bancorp are among the rare financial institutions that support the crypto sector.
However, this decision by the Federal Reserve severely limits the operational capabilities of such banks. Winklevoss describes this situation as a restriction of financial freedom and argues that the crypto community should resist this pressure.
Effects of the Federal Reserve’s Decision
The Federal Reserve’s sanction on Customers Bancorp makes the bank’s future ability to do business with crypto companies uncertain. On the other hand, the deficiencies in the bank’s risk management and anti-money laundering measures also raise concerns in the crypto world. However, the main concern is that such regulatory pressures may hinder innovative initiatives in the sector and impede the growth of the crypto industry.
This decision not only threatens Customers Bancorp but also the access of crypto companies to banking services. Therefore, the access of crypto companies to banking services, already limited, becomes even more uncertain due to such pressures, making the future of the sector more ambiguous.