Zaria Systems has applied to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish Zaria National Trust Bank (ZNTB), a special-purpose national trust bank designed to modernize corporate trustee and collateral management services for structured finance markets. If approved, the institution would become the first federally regulated corporate trustee built specifically to support real-time collateral monitoring across traditional and digital asset-backed lending.

Fintech infrastructure company Zaria Systems has taken a significant step toward expanding regulated financial infrastructure by filing an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to charter Zaria National Trust Bank (ZNTB). The proposed special-purpose national bank would operate as a trust company, offering specialized services for structured finance rather than traditional retail or commercial banking.

The application reflects growing demand for regulated financial infrastructure capable of supporting increasingly complex credit markets, where digital assets, tokenized securities, and real-time collateral management are reshaping traditional lending models.

If approved, ZNTB would consolidate several critical financial services that are typically handled by multiple institutions into a single federally regulated entity. These services include corporate trustee operations for asset-backed securities (ABS), collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), agency services for syndicated and bilateral lending, loan servicing and collateral management, and backup servicing designed to enable immediate operational continuity if a primary servicer fails.

What Zaria National Trust Bank Would Do

A corporate trustee acts as an independent fiduciary responsible for overseeing financial transactions, protecting investor interests, and ensuring contractual obligations are fulfilled throughout the life of structured finance deals.

Zaria aims to modernize this role by replacing periodic collateral verification with continuous, real-time monitoring.

Its infrastructure is designed to provide lenders, asset managers, and institutional investors with instant visibility into collateral positions while enabling automated margin calls, real-time reporting, and monitoring across both traditional financial assets and digital asset-backed loans.

This approach addresses limitations in legacy servicing models, where collateral is often reviewed on scheduled reporting cycles rather than continuously.

Why the Filing Matters

Structured finance markets—including ABS, mortgage-backed securities (MBS), and CLOs—collectively represent trillions of dollars in global assets. While these markets have historically relied on established trustee and servicing models, the rapid growth of digital asset lending and tokenized finance has introduced new operational requirements that legacy infrastructure was not designed to support.

Real-time collateral monitoring has become increasingly important as financial institutions seek to manage market volatility, improve risk management, and strengthen regulatory compliance.

According to McKinsey & Company, digital transformation continues to reshape capital markets, with financial institutions investing heavily in infrastructure that improves transparency, operational efficiency, and risk oversight. IDC also projects continued growth in enterprise spending on digital financial infrastructure as organizations modernize data, compliance, and transaction management capabilities.

Building Regulated Infrastructure for Digital Finance

Unlike many fintech companies that operate alongside regulated financial institutions, Zaria is pursuing a federal banking charter to embed its technology within a supervised regulatory framework.

The proposed institution would operate as a national trust bank, providing regulatory oversight through the OCC while focusing exclusively on trust-related financial activities rather than accepting deposits or making traditional commercial loans.

The company has assembled leadership with backgrounds spanning corporate trust, structured finance, banking regulation, digital asset custody, and capital markets. Executives and advisors have previously held positions at major financial institutions including BNY Mellon, Barclays, Morgan Stanley, Nomura, SoFi, Silicon Valley Bank, Cross River Bank, and Moody’s, among others.

Zaria also plans to establish the bank’s principal office in Jackson, Wyoming, leveraging the state’s trust legislation and digital asset regulatory framework, which has attracted a growing ecosystem of fintech and blockchain companies.

Industry Outlook

The filing highlights a broader trend toward integrating regulated financial infrastructure with emerging digital finance markets. As tokenized assets, securities-backed lending, and blockchain-based financial products continue to mature, institutions are increasingly seeking trusted intermediaries capable of managing collateral across both conventional and digital asset classes.

Technology leaders such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Salesforce, and Adobe continue investing in cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and enterprise data platforms that support financial modernization. Meanwhile, specialized fintech providers are developing regulated infrastructure to improve transparency, automation, and operational resilience across capital markets.

If approved by the OCC, Zaria National Trust Bank could represent a new model for corporate trust services, combining traditional fiduciary responsibilities with real-time technology designed for modern structured finance and digital lending ecosystems.

Top Insights

  • Zaria has applied to the OCC to establish a national trust bank focused on structured finance and real-time collateral management.
  • The proposed institution would combine trustee, agency, servicing, and backup servicing functions within a single federally regulated entity.
  • Real-time collateral monitoring addresses growing demand from digital asset lending and tokenized finance markets.
  • The initiative reflects broader financial industry investment in modern infrastructure that improves transparency, automation, and operational resilience.
  • Wyoming’s digital asset-friendly trust framework positions Zaria to expand regulated fintech services supporting next-generation capital markets.

Have a story or business inquiry?Contact our FinTechEdition team today.