Crypto financial institution Custodia has misplaced one other authorized battle in its marketing campaign to assessment the Federal Reserve’s place as the ultimate authority over granting grasp accounts. This improvement comes after the US Courtroom of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit rejected the Caitlin Lengthy-led digital financial institution’s request for rehearing after an preliminary favorable ruling for the Federal Reserve in October 2025.
Custodia Loses 6-Yr Authorized Battle With FRBKC
In 2023, the Federal Reserve Financial institution of Kansas Metropolis (FRBKC) rejected Custodia’s utility for a grasp account, a designation that will have granted the crypto financial institution entry to the Fed’s fee rails, thus eliminating the necessity for middleman companies. Notably, Custodia challenged this determination at a Wyoming district courtroom in 2024, claiming its eligibility for a grasp account as a nonmember depository establishment, whereas additionally stating the FRBKC lacked the constitutional authority to disclaim its utility, having happy the necessities.
Following an preliminary defeat at this state courtroom, Custodia moved its case to the US Courtroom of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, the place a three-man panel additionally sided with the Federal Reserve, reinforcing the central banks as the ultimate authority to grant a grasp account whatever the candidate’s eligibility. In December 2025, the crypto financial institution filed for a petition for an en banc listening to that would come with a full ten-member panel. Nevertheless, a report by unbiased editor Eleanor Terrett states the appellate courtroom has chosen to uphold the preliminary ruling in favor of the FRBKC.
🚨NEW: The tenth Circuit has rejected @custodiabank’s request for a full courtroom rehearing in its grasp account combat with the @federalreserve, after a panel dominated in October that Reserve Banks have authorized discretion to disclaim grasp account entry.
Energetic judges voted 7–3 in opposition to… https://t.co/SXE4qf5TBH pic.twitter.com/O9pQ9zrH5h
— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) March 13, 2026
Additional particulars point out that the judgment was reached by a 7-3 vote, with nearly all of the panel agreeing that the Federal Reserve holds closing authority over such account-designation issues. Notably, dissenting judges Timothy Tymkovich and Allison Eid warned that granting Federal Reserve banks unchecked authority to just accept or deny purposes from state-chartered establishments contravened the Financial Management Act of 1980.
What Subsequent For Custodia?
When it comes to its subsequent actions, Custodia is inside its rights to take the case to the US Supreme Courtroom. Nevertheless, the percentages of the nation’s apex courtroom granting such opinions are low. Alternatively, the crypto financial institution can search to use for the particular restricted grasp account not too long ago granted by the FRBKC to crypto trade Kraken. Though this differs from commonplace grasp accounts, they each have related options that might ease operations for Custodia.
On the time of writing, Custodia has but to challenge any official response to the Appellate Courtroom’s latest ruling.
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