Giving crypto companies and fintech startups access to accounts at the Federal Reserve is a hedge against debanking by commercial banks.
Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, a pro-crypto United States lawmaker, said the recent proposal from Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller to give crypto companies access to “skinny” master accounts would end debanking under Operation Chokepoint 2.0.
Waller proposed the idea at the Payments Innovation Conference in October, allowing crypto and fintech startups, including payment-only banks, access to accounts at the Federal Reserve similar to the “master accounts” used by banks, but with restrictions. Lummis said:
Operation Chokepoint 2.0 was described as a coordinated effort to deny banking services to crypto companies and their founders. More than 30 tech founders were debanked under the operation, according to venture capitalist Marc Andreessen.
