U.S. banking regulators have issued a joint statement clarifying that tokenized securities will receive the same capital treatment as traditional securities. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation stated the capital rule is technology neutral. Industry leaders hailed the move as a major catalyst for adoption, which has surged 47% this year to 184,000 holders.
U.S. banking regulators issued a joint statement clarifying capital requirements for tokenized securities. The regulators stated the underlying technology does not change the rules.
“The capital rule is technology neutral. An eligible tokenized security should generally receive the same capital treatment as the non-tokenized form of security under the capital rule,” the guidance said. They elaborated tokenized securities could be used as collateral if they meet a bank’s criteria.
Industry leaders billed the regulatory update as significant for the sector. Anchorage Digital CEO Nathan McCauley called it an “Incredible unlock for tokenization.”
Miller Whitehouse-Levine, CEO of the Solana Policy Institute, views the move as laying groundwork for on-chain markets. “Brick by brick…Multiple Federal agencies are laying the groundwork for on-chain securities markets in the United States,” he said.
The guidance follows a January statement from the Securities and Exchange Commission that tokenized stocks are securities. Combined, the statements offer interpretative guidance on taxonomy, compliance, and capital treatment.
Meanwhile, adoption of tokenized stocks has accelerated sharply in 2026. The number of holders jumped 47% to 184,000, while the subsector’s overall market cap surpassed $1 billion.
