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WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today announced it will establish an Office of Financial Technology early next year to bolster the agency’s expertise and ability to adapt to a rapidly changing banking landscape.

The Office of Financial Technology will build on and incorporate the Office of Innovation, which the OCC established in 2016 to coordinate agency efforts to support responsible financial innovation.

“Financial technology is changing rapidly and bank-fintech partnerships are likely to continue growing in number and complexity. To ensure that the federal banking system is safe, sound, and fair today and well into the future, we need to have a deep understanding of financial technology and the financial technology landscape,” said Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael J. Hsu. “The establishment of this office will enable us to be more agile and to promote responsible innovation, consistent with our mission.”

The Office of Financial Technology will be led a by a Chief Financial Technology Officer, who will be a Deputy Comptroller reporting to the Senior Deputy Comptroller for Bank Supervision Policy. The office will provide strategic leadership, vision, and perspective for the OCC’s financial technology activities and related supervision.

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