The explanatory letter released by the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on December 31 may have been overlooked by most people. But if you hold any crypto assets, this is something worth considering carefully.

The letter states very plainly: nationwide banks can now engage in "risk-free principal transactions" in crypto assets. To put it simply, banks can buy crypto assets from one party and immediately sell them to another, without taking on any inventory risk. All of this is within the scope of the OCC's official authorization.

What does this change bring? In short, US banks now officially have the permission to act as intermediaries in the crypto market.

Why is this so important? Think about the situation in traditional financial markets. Banks expand liquidity through intermediary transactions—this is basic operation. Now, this logic is extending into the crypto space. What does it mean? A large wave of institutional funds will have a more convenient entry channel. Cryptocurrencies will be more deeply integrated into the mainstream banking system. Moreover, this reflects the attitude of regulators—not to kill crypto, but to bring it into the fold.

Many people are still waiting for "mass adoption" to arrive suddenly like a flash event. But in reality, this kind of change is quietly happening within such policy documents. It may seem calm on the surface, but its impact is profound.