Trump administration

The president has named Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on an acting basis after firing CFPB Director Rohit Chopra over the weekend.

As Elon Musk and his associates gain access to internal computers, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden slammed the move and said it poses a national security risk. Musk said the Treasury system isn't adequately fighting fraud and is also attempting to shut down USAID.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Rohit Chopra in a letter to President Donald Trump confirmed that his "term as CFPB Director has concluded."

State banking associations across the country said that Michelle Bowman should be the Federal Reserve vice chair for supervision, not least because she already sits on the Fed board and could start immediately.

Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman is widely seen as the president's most likely choice for vice chair for supervision, a position soon to be vacated by Michael Barr. But while Bowman is the administration's most straightforward option, it's not the only one being considered.

Russell Vought, should he be confirmed by the full Senate, would join a short list of those able to lead the CFPB, as his predecessor Mick Mulvaney did, per the requirements of the Vacancies Act.

President Trump's executive order is meant to roll back his predecessor's emphasis on diversity and inclusion, but it could also complicate the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s efforts to correct its own workplace-harassment problems.

The Federal Reserve chair said banks are well situated to handle risks related to crypto customers, but added that regulatory scrutiny of banks' direct engagement with the assets will be greater than for simple custody arrangements.

M&A, economic growth and artificial intelligence are among the leading issues banks will encounter this year, economists said.

The National Treasury Employees Union told employees not to respond to the mass email asking federal workers to resign. The chief of staff at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said it is reviewing the directive.

The chair of the Senate Banking Committee said the Trump administration will soon address the future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director. "I think we're going to be happy with the answer they give us and the person they give us as well," the Republican from South Carolina said.

The final vote was 68-29 in favor of Senate the confirmation of the billionaire hedge fund manager.

President Donald Trump and the first lady released their own cryptocurrencies. Experts compare them to Beanie Babies and dogecoin.

Bankers applauded the news, which means that it's possible for crypto-custody efforts at depository institutions to scale.

Industry representatives such as the European Banking Federation are lobbying the European Commission to push back stricter capital standards rules until the beginning of 2027.

The executive order also calls for regulations to be written for the digital asset industry.

Experts say the Trump administration is waiting for Scott Bessent to be confirmed as treasury secretary and for other appointees to clear the Senate before naming acting heads at federal banking agencies.

Greg Baer, head of the Bank Policy Institute, echoed the president's assertion that unchecked supervisors are urging banks to drop risky clients .

The president has signed dozens of executive orders touching a wide range of government functions, but banking policy has largely gone untouched — so far.

Senate Republicans would like to do a large bill on immigration and energy first and then tackle tax reform in a second bill. House Republicans prefer one large bill.