The Trump administration's approval of plans to launch several cryptocurrency-focused national banks marks a turning point in integrating digital assets into the traditional financial system, according to Data Vault AI CEO Nate Bradley on Newsmax on Tuesday.
"When you have a crypto-focused bank, it's really a full circle now," Bradley told "National Report." "This was about decentralization in the beginning, and now we're decentralizing the decentralized, and bringing identity to wallets is something that allows crypto to become the powerful tool it was meant to become."
The emergence of crypto-focused banks reflects how the industry has moved from its decentralized roots toward regulated, mainstream adoption.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency recently approved applications tied to five new crypto-focused national banks, including firms linked to Circle and Ripple.
Applicants have 18 months to raise capital and build infrastructure before launching operations, part of a broader push by the Trump administration to give the crypto industry greater access to the U.S. banking system.
Bradley said recent legislative developments have helped clarify the regulatory path forward, pointing to stablecoin oversight and pending crypto legislation.
"With stablecoin, the GENIUS Act and the coming CLARITY Act, we now have a clear regulatory pathway to allow these tools to enter the market," he said.
Addressing skepticism that cryptocurrencies merely replicate the role of the U.S. dollar, Bradley said digital assets offer fundamental differences, particularly in how trust and value are established.
"The U.S. dollar, since Nixon took us off the gold standard, has been based on belief," Bradley said, referring to former President Richard Nixon. "Bitcoin is based on a mathematical scarcity, with a finite universe that allows individuals to trust the underlying currency."
He added that stablecoins tied to real-world assets further distinguish crypto from traditional currency, while offering practical advantages for users.
"There is a benefit to these currencies in terms of the speed of cross-border transactions, the ability to clear and get things done quicker, and move money in a way that hasn't been seen before," Bradley said.
Bradley also pointed to growing adoption by major financial institutions as evidence that blockchain technology is no longer experimental.
JPMorgan Chase recently announced plans to roll out a tokenized money market fund, following similar moves by other global banks.
"BNY Mellon is closely behind JPMorgan or right in stride, doing precisely the same things," Bradley said.
"Blockchain is past wait-and-see type technology," he added. "This is a technology that's taking over."
Bradley said consumer demand and international competition are driving banks to adopt blockchain-based systems, offering faster transactions and reducing long-standing inefficiencies in the banking sector.
"These technologies are here to stay," Bradley said. "Consumers demand it, and from an international standpoint, these currencies give people a lot more power to move money without the lag we've been so accustomed to in banking."
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