Multiple crypto companies have applied for national bank charters, with more expected on the way. Why it matters: Crypto companies are increasingly laying the plumbing for potentially huge new business lines as Washington readies new rules and regulations. Driving the news: The stablecoin company Circle, fresh off its $18 billion IPO, confirmed on Monday that it had applied with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a national trust bank, First National Digital Currency Bank, N.A. •The cryptocurrency firm Ripple announced Wednesday that it too had also applied for a national banking ... (full story)