Why the First US Crypto Bank Is a Big Deal
Kraken became the first crypto exchange to win a U.S. banking license this week. Here’s why that matters.

Kraken became the first crypto exchange to win a U.S. banking license this week. Here’s why that matters.
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This episode is sponsored by Crypto.com, Bitstamp and Nexo.io.
On this edition of The Breakdown weekly recap, NLW looks at:
- DEXetition – Uniswap’s battle with SushiSwap heats up as the former dropped the UNI governance token in what some likened to a crypto stimulus check
- The Fed has no clothes – After another FOMC meeting of “nothing new,” the mirage of Federal Reserve omnipotence is fading
- TikTok and WeChat banned from U.S. app stores – Is it just a negotiating technique? Whatever the case, people are not happy
- Kraken becomes a bank – What it means now that Kraken has been approved for a Wyoming Special Purpose Depository Institution charter
This week on The Breakdown:
Monday | The Business of Geopolitical Competition
Tuesday | The Decade of the Living Dead: How Zombie Companies Are Robbing Tomorrow’s Economy
Wednesday | Governments vs. Networks: The Battle for the Soul of Finance
Thursday | Monetary Policy Is Finished and Macro Debates Are Boring, Feat. Raoul Pal
Friday | ‘I Didn’t Buy It to Sell It. Ever.’ MicroStrategy’s Michael Saylor on His $425M Bitcoin Bet
For more episodes and free early access before our regular daily releases, subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, iHeartRadio or RSS.
Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.
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