SoFi Moves First as Trump-Era Regulators Clear Path for Banks to Enter Crypto Trading

SoFi is officially bringing crypto inside the vault.

The fintech lender announced Tuesday that it’s the first U.S. bank to offer crypto trading to retail customers, allowing users to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital tokens directly through its app.

The rollout marks a comeback for SoFi’s crypto business, which it previously shut down in 2022 to get its national bank license. Select customers can start trading immediately, with the feature expanding to all 12.6 million members by the end of next year.

“Today marks a pivotal moment when banking meets crypto in one app,” CEO Anthony Noto said in a statement. “It’s critical to give our members a secure and regulated way to step into the future of money.”

The move follows a regulatory shift under President Trump, whose administration has eased restrictions on banks engaging in digital assets. Both the OCC and FDIC recently clarified that federally licensed banks can provide crypto custody and execution services… something regulators largely discouraged under the Biden administration.

SoFi’s timing could set off a new wave of crypto adoption in traditional finance. Charles Schwab, Morgan Stanley, and regional lender PNC are all reportedly preparing similar offerings for retail customers. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Bank of America have announced plans to issue their own stablecoins or tokenized deposit products to support digital payments.

For SoFi, the crypto comeback fits into a broader plan to turn its platform into a one-stop financial app… offering everything from student loans to stock and crypto trading under one brand. The company also plans to launch its own dollar-pegged stablecoin and allow customers to borrow against crypto holdings.

Crypto demand has rebounded in recent months amid institutional adoption and clearer U.S. policy. SoFi says roughly 60% of its members prefer to trade and hold digital assets with a regulated bank, a potential advantage over pure-play exchanges like Coinbase and Robinhood. Still, investors are keeping their enthusiasm in check for now considering SoFi shares are down 0.77% at the time of this writing.

At the time of publishing this article, Stocks.News holds positions in Robinhood, Bitcoin, and Ethereum as mentioned in the article.