The U.S. Senate has confirmed Jonathan Gould as the next Comptroller of the Currency at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a five-year term by a vote of 50-45.
“Jonathan’s extensive background, including his firsthand experience at the OCC, means he’ll be ready to hit the ground running as Comptroller,” said U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, Chair of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and former Chair of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. “I am confident in his ability to carry out the agency’s critical mission to ensure the safety and soundness of our banking system, and to ensure banks provide fair access to financial services. He has the experience, quality of character and demeanor to be an effective leader of the agency, and I look forward to working with him in this new role.”
Gould, who was nominated in February, replaces Rodney E. Hood, who was named Acting Comptroller of the Currency on February 10, 2025.
Having previous experience at the OCC when crypto-banking was in its infancy, Gould’s appointment could mean a potential push for crypto in the banking arena.
As Comptroller of the OCC, Gould will serve as the administrator of the federal banking system and CEO of the OCC. The OCC ensures that the federal banking system operates in a safe manner, provides fair access to financial services, treats customers fairly, and complies with applicable laws and regulations. The OCC supervises more than 1,000 national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches and agencies of foreign banks that serve consumers, businesses, and communities across the United States. These institutions range from community banks to the nation’s largest most internationally active banks. The Comptroller also serves as a Director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and a member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) and the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC).
Gould previously served as the Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief Counsel of the OCC. He oversaw all the agency’s legal and licensing activities, including legal advisory services to banks and examiners, enforcement, litigation, agency administrative matters, legislative initiatives, the chartering of new banks, and changes in structure and activities of existing banks. He led the OCC’s legal and licensing teams through a transformational period in which the agency revised its regulatory and licensing frameworks to reflect an evolution in banking. These efforts included a significant rewrite of banking regulation, including implementation of the Economic Growth Act, reforms to the Volcker Rule and swap margin rules, capital and liquidity changes, issuance of the Madden Rule, and expansion of bank powers. Under his direction, the OCC chartered the first fintech and crypto banks; recognized crypto-related activities as permissible; brought the largest enforcement actions in agency history; managed through the March 2020 financial crisis; and defended the agency’s actions before Congress and in court.
“Jonathan Gould’s distinguished résumé in both the private and public sector will serve him well as Comptroller of the Currency. MBA congratulates him on his well-deserved confirmation,” said Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB. “We look forward to Comptroller Gould’s measured approach to banking supervision, with a focus on ensuring safety and soundness in the banking system without imposing overly complex or burdensome regulatory oversight. MBA will also continue to advocate for reforms that support improved housing affordability and banks’ increased participation in the mortgage market, such as recalibrating risk-based capital requirements for mortgage servicing rights and warehouse lending.”
“If confirmed to lead the OCC, my top priorities will be ensuring national banks support our economy, depoliticizing the banking system, improving bank supervision, and embracing innovation within the agency and the banking system,” said Gould during his March Nomination Hearing before the Senate Banking Committee. “I will do everything in my power to ensure the continued relevance of our national banking system and its ability to support our national economy consistent with the President’s vision.”
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