Advocates warned the Federal Housing Finance Agency that allowing cryptocurrency assets to be used in the underwriting of Fannie and Freddie mortgages risks taxpayer losses and market instability.

Federal officials directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to study whether digital assets held on US regulated exchanges might someday be factored into mortgage risk assessments.

CEO Robin Vince refused to comment on "rumors or speculation" about a potential merger between the custody banking giant and its smaller rival, Northern Trust. He also said that the bar for BNY to engage in M&A is "very high."

A one-page outline of priorities for Trump's inauguration day obtained American Banker includes financial policy items, including firing Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra, issuing a "reset" of that agency and designating crypto as a "national priority."

The Federal Reserve chair is not concerned about President-elect Trump nominating his successor well in advance of the end of his term in 2026, saying he is "confident" he will have a productive relationship with the next Treasury Secretary.

In a lawsuit between a Puerto Rican bank and the New York Fed, a federal judge ruled that reserve banks are not obligated to give master accounts to banks they deem risky. The decision could have implications for other master account challenges.

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., a senior Republican on the House Financial Services Committee, said he intends to press Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to refine the Basel III capital proposal before it is finalized.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said in a report released Friday that Signature's rapid, unrestrained growth and inadequate risk management practices outpaced supervisors' ratings and responses, even though the issues were known to the agency.

Signature Bank of New York is pulling back from crypto deposits and has increased borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York.

John Williams, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, praised the Fed's new guidelines for granting fintechs and other nonbanks access to the payment system. He also echoed calls for new rules to govern stablecoins and cryptocurrencies.