Under Brooks’ leadership, the OCC began allowing banks to provide cryptocurrency custody services and store cryptographic keys in July 2020. And this January, the OCC first permitted banks to use stablecoins for payments.
The difference between a digital currency and a cryptocurrency is that the latter is decentralised, meaning it is not issued or backed by a central authority such as a central bank or government. Instead, cryptocurrencies run across a network of computers. Digital currencies have all the characteristics of traditional currencies but exist only in the digital world. They are issued by a central authority.

More broadly, the U.S. has been slow to issue regulatory guidance for cryptocurrency businesses. The industry has generally appreciated regulators' care and caution to avoid hampering innovation or overregulating something so misunderstood, but the lack of clarity has also become restrictive for many looking to operate, develop, and grow their products and services. But Zhao appears to be undaunted by that.
GURA: Wyoming appeals to bitcoin miners who use computers to crack codes to create new cryptocurrency. That's an energy-intensive process, and Wyoming is an energy-rich state. It also has light regulations and it provides tax incentives. And Lummis is calling on Congress to follow Wyoming's lead.