[U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency: Banks Can Hold and Use Crypto Assets to Pay Blockchain Network Fees] The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has issued Interpretive Letter 1186, confirming that national banks can hold and use crypto assets as principal to pay blockchain network fees (such as 'Gas fees') to support their lawful operational activities. Additionally, banks can hold crypto assets for testing purposes on self-developed or third-party platforms. The OCC emphasized that such operations must comply with regulations and be conducted under sound banking practices. Fox reporter Eleanor Terrett commented that two years ago, prudential regulators warned banks that directly issuing or holding public blockchain crypto assets was 'highly likely to be inconsistent with sound banking practices.' Now, the U.S. OCC has confirmed that banks can legally hold and use them to pay network fees, marking a significant shift in the industry.