The Wyoming Blockchain Symposium 2026 was held from 17 to 20 August at the Four Seasons Resort in Jackson Hole. The invitation-only event, planned for around 500 people, is run by SALT with Kraken and the University of Wyoming’s Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation, and is timed to sit alongside the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole meeting.
Key details
- Dates: 17–20 August 2026
- Location: Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, United States
- Organiser: SALT, Kraken and the University of Wyoming
- Official website: https://www.salt.org/events/wyoming-blockchain-symposium-2026
What happened
The main news came from the Comptroller of the Currency, Jonathan Gould, in a fireside chat on 19 August. He said the OCC had received 40 new bank charter applications in about 18 months, 23 of them involving digital-asset activity, and that the OCC would issue its final rule under the GENIUS Act by November. SALT’s speaker list also included Senator Ruben Gallego, Charles Hoskinson and executives from Paxos, OKX, Securitize and BitGo.
Why it mattered
Crypto firms applying to become banks is one of the biggest structural shifts in the US market, and the OCC’s numbers show how many are trying. The GENIUS Act rule promised for November is the next date to watch.
Our explainer on why Washington regulates stablecoins covers the background to the GENIUS Act, and the outlook for stablecoins in global payments shows why banks want in.
