Telcoin has obtained a banking license in Nebraska, and the TEL Token has risen by 75%, with a market capitalization exceeding 500 million USD.

On November 13, 2025, the fintech company Telcoin received a full banking license issued by the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance, driving its TEL Token price to rise by 75%, with a market capitalization surpassing $515 million. The license allows Telcoin to accept customer deposits, distribute loans, and use its native eUSD stablecoin to provide bank-like services, while becoming the first bank in the U.S. explicitly authorized to connect customers with DeFi protocols. This milestone event marks a new stage in the integration of Crypto Assets and TradFi, opening avenues for small and medium-sized banks to provide Compliance encryption services.

The Scope of Telcoin's Banking License and Its Regulatory Significance

The banking license obtained by Telcoin allows it to operate as a licensed bank in Nebraska, engaging in activities such as accepting deposits, issuing loans, and providing a full range of banking services. These services can be priced in its native eUSD stablecoin and utilize decentralized finance applications. Notably, this charter is the first in the United States to explicitly authorize a bank to connect American customers with DeFi protocols, setting a precedent for the compliant integration of TradFi and Decentralized Finance.

From a regulatory perspective, Telcoin is currently regulated as a state-chartered bank by the Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance, while its stablecoin operations must also comply with the USD-pegged stablecoin rules outlined in the Genius Act signed by President Trump in July 2025. This dual regulatory framework provides Telcoin with clear operational guidance and regulatory certainty for its partners. Banking regulation expert Sarah Johnson pointed out: “Telcoin's license provides a blueprint for how other states might regulate crypto-native banking services, potentially stimulating the emergence of similar institutions.”

Telcoin Business Model and Market Competitive Advantages

The strategy of Telcoin founder and CEO Paul Neuner is to leverage banking licenses to provide encryption service infrastructure for other financial institutions. He expects that small and medium-sized banks will realize the necessity of offering encryption services but lack the ability to establish compliance teams and corporate policies, thus turning to Telcoin for collaboration. This “Banking as a Service” (BaaS) model enables traditional banks to offer encryption services to their regular banking customers through Telcoin's technology stack without having to build complex infrastructure on their own.

In terms of specific services, Telcoin plans to allow customers to use its eUSD stablecoin for payment, remittance, and savings activities. Similar to Coinbase integrating the DeFi lending platform Morpho to allow customers to obtain loans against their Bitcoin holdings as collateral, Telcoin's banking framework enables similar services to operate under a stricter regulatory framework. This model has proven its market demand — as of the end of September 2025, the total loan amount sourced from Morpho through Coinbase has exceeded 1 billion USD.

Key Information on Telcoin Banking License

• Regulatory Approval: Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance
• Scope of Business: Deposits, Loans, Comprehensive Banking Services
• Special Authorization: The first bank charter explicitly linking to Decentralized Finance
• Token reaction: TEL rose 75%, market capitalization 515 million USD
• stablecoin: eUSD (available for all banking services)
• Business Model: Providing encryption service infrastructure for traditional banks

The Competitive Landscape of Crypto Assets Banking Services

Telcoin has joined a small but growing club of crypto companies holding U.S. banking licenses. Currently, Anchorage Digital is the only crypto-native company with a federal banking license, while the digital-native bank Erebor, backed by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, has also received conditional approval for a national trust charter. Other major players such as Circle, Ripple, and Paxos have also applied for a national trust charter, reflecting the industry's widespread demand for compliant banking services.

Coinbase applied for a national trust charter in October 2025, which will allow it to operate as a trust bank, focusing on trust activities such as asset custody and providing custodial services, while forgoing other activities like issuing loans. This differentiated positioning shows that different crypto companies are choosing different banking service paths based on their own strengths. Telcoin's choice of a full banking license instead of a limited trust license indicates its ambition goes beyond custody, aiming to become a comprehensive crypto banking service provider.

The Trend of Integration Between Traditional Banks and Decentralized Finance

The license for Telcoin comes against the backdrop of traditional financial institutions increasingly exploring DeFi integration. In September 2025, one of Europe’s largest banks, Société Générale, announced that it would integrate its stablecoin with Morpho, opening up DeFi lending to institutional clients. Similarly, the Singapore cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com also plans to integrate DeFi loans from Morpho through its Cronos blockchain.

This trend shows that DeFi is transitioning from a fringe experiment to a mainstream component of regulated finance. Banks are beginning to recognize the potential of DeFi protocols to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and create new revenue streams. However, until Telcoin obtained its license, the lack of a clear regulatory framework made most traditional banks cautious about direct integration. The model of Telcoin may accelerate this transformation process by providing a compliance bridge.

Market Impact and Industry Outlook

The 75% price rise of the TEL Token reflects the market's recognition of the value of Telcoin's banking license. From a fundamental perspective, the banking identity allows Telcoin to acquire funds at a lower cost, enjoy partial protection from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and access the Federal Reserve payment system. These advantages can significantly improve its economic model, especially for its eUSD stablecoin business, as the banking identity may enhance users' confidence in the stablecoin's redemption capability.

From an industry perspective, the success of Telcoin may encourage other crypto projects to seek similar licenses, accelerating the integration of Crypto Assets with TradFi. Nebraska has become a popular destination for such applications due to its progressive fintech regulations, potentially competing with Wyoming in terms of crypto banking regulation. This state-level competition could drive the overall advancement of crypto regulation in the United States, providing a testing ground for a national framework.

Telcoin: The Disruptor of a New Era in Crypto Banking

The significance of Telcoin obtaining a bank license in Nebraska goes far beyond a single company's milestone; it represents a key breakthrough on the path to integrating cryptocurrency with the traditional financial system. When a crypto-native company can operate as a bank and provide comprehensive financial services using its own stablecoin, it is essentially reconstructing the fundamental architecture of finance—not based on traditional banking tracks, but built on blockchain networks. Telcoin's experiment will test whether this new model can maintain the efficiency and innovative advantages of the crypto world while meeting regulatory requirements. Regardless of the outcome, it has already demonstrated a new trend: future banking services may no longer be defined by marble buildings, but by code and blockchain.