SoFi Becomes First U.S. National Bank to Launch In-App Crypto Trading for Consumers

Banking Giant Integrates Digital Assets Directly Into Its Core Platform Amid Renewed Regulatory Clarity

TL;DR

• SoFi launches “SoFi Crypto,” becoming the first nationally chartered U.S. bank to offer in-app crypto trading.
• Rollout begins November 11, 2025, with dozens of assets and direct integration into SoFi’s FDIC-insured banking ecosystem.
• CEO Anthony Noto calls the move a milestone for regulated crypto adoption following new OCC guidance.

SoFi Technologies has officially entered the digital-asset arena, launching “SoFi Crypto” — a feature that allows customers to buy, sell, and hold cryptocurrencies directly within its banking application. The rollout began November 11, 2025, making SoFi the first nationally chartered U.S. bank to embed crypto trading into its core consumer banking platform. The phased release will expand to all users over the coming weeks, marking a full re-entry into the crypto market after the company suspended earlier trading services in 2023 to meet federal banking charter conditions.

The initiative supports dozens of major tokens, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, while linking directly to SoFi’s FDIC-insured checking and savings accounts. Customers can fund crypto purchases instantly using existing balances without transferring money to external wallets or platforms — a design the company frames as both seamless and secure. “Banking meets crypto in one app, on a trusted platform, driven by our mission to help our members get their money right,” CEO Anthony Noto said during the launch announcement. He emphasized that the bank’s regulated status allows it to deliver “bank-grade stability and security” absent from most standalone crypto exchanges.

Noto positioned the launch as a strategic inflection point for SoFi’s technology roadmap, citing blockchain’s potential to transform the movement of money. “Blockchain technology will fundamentally change every way finance is done throughout the world by making money movement faster, cheaper, and safer,” he noted. The bank also signaled plans to expand its blockchain footprint, including the development of a dollar-pegged stablecoin, crypto-backed lending products, and blockchain-based payment rails, further integrating digital assets into its consumer ecosystem.

The announcement follows new guidance issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency earlier in 2025, clarifying that nationally chartered banks may offer crypto and blockchain services under existing licenses. SoFi’s leadership framed this as the missing piece that enabled the return of its digital-asset operations. “What gives us confidence is clarity,” Noto explained. “The OCC issued clarity that it is now permissible for banks with the exact license that SoFi has to offer crypto and blockchain products and services.”

SoFi is marketing the integration as a “one-stop financial hub,” where traditional and digital assets coexist under a regulated structure. The company highlighted that members’ crypto holdings would operate under the same compliance and oversight standards that govern its core banking business. That distinction, it argued, positions SoFi as a bridge between traditional finance and emerging digital-asset ecosystems — a model designed to reduce the risks that have plagued unregulated platforms in recent years.

Market timing also plays to SoFi’s advantage. The bank reported strong third-quarter 2025 results, with loan originations climbing 57% year-over-year to $9.9 billion, including $7.5 billion in personal loans and $1.5 billion in student loans. Management framed the crypto rollout as an expansion of its growing ecosystem rather than a speculative experiment, citing consumer demand: nearly three in ten U.S. adults now own some form of crypto asset.

SoFi’s move arrives ahead of similar initiatives reportedly under consideration by larger financial institutions such as Morgan Stanley, Charles Schwab, and PNC Financial Services. The company’s first-mover advantage could solidify its position as a regulated gateway for mainstream crypto adoption. Noto described the effort as part of a broader convergence between artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, which he called “two massive technology supercycles” reshaping the financial industry.

Earlier in 2025, SoFi had begun exploring blockchain infrastructure through a partnership with Lightspark to facilitate Lightning Network-powered remittances between the U.S. and Mexico, converting dollars to Bitcoin, transmitting them over Lightning, and converting them back into local currency upon receipt. The crypto trading launch extends that strategy from payments to full-scale digital-asset management, embedding blockchain innovation throughout the company’s ecosystem.

SoFi’s debut of SoFi Crypto marks a structural shift in how traditional banks approach digital assets. Rather than distancing itself from volatile markets, the company is betting on regulation, clarity, and scale — using its national bank charter to transform crypto access from a fringe product into an integrated, compliant financial service for the mainstream consumer.

This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.