8-3005. Digital asset depository; powers; digital asset depository institution; organization; operating authority; demand deposits and loans; prohibited.

(1)(a) A digital asset depository may:

(i) Make contracts as a corporation under Nebraska law;

(ii) Sue and be sued;

(iii) Receive notes as permitted by federal law;

(iv) Carry on a nonlending digital asset banking business for customers, consistent with subdivision (2)(b) of this section;

(v) Provide payment services upon the request of a customer; and

(vi) Make an application to become a member bank of the federal reserve system.

(b) A digital asset depository shall maintain its main office and the primary office of its chief executive officer in Nebraska.

(c) As otherwise authorized by this section, a digital asset depository may conduct business with customers outside this state.

(2)(a) A digital asset depository institution, consistent with the Nebraska Financial Innovation Act, shall be organized as a corporation under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act to exercise the powers set forth in subsection (1) of this section.

(b) A digital asset depository institution shall not accept demand deposits of United States currency or United States currency that may be accessed or withdrawn by check or similar means for payment to third parties and except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a digital asset depository institution shall not make any loans to consumers for personal, property or household purposes, mortgage loans, or commercial loans of any fiat currency including, but not limited to, United States currency, including the provision of temporary credit relating to overdrafts. Notwithstanding this prohibition against fiat currency lending by a digital asset depository institution, a digital asset depository institution may facilitate the provision of digital asset business services resulting from the interaction of customers with centralized finance or decentralized finance platforms including, but not limited to, controllable electronic record exchange, staking, controllable electronic record lending, and controllable electronic record borrowing. A digital asset depository institution may purchase debt obligations specified by subdivision (2)(c) of section 8-3009.

(c) A digital asset depository institution may open a branch in this state or in another state in the manner set forth in section 8-157 or 8-2303. A branch in another state is subject to the laws of the host state. A digital asset depository institution, including any branch of the digital asset depository institution, may only accept digital asset deposits or provide other digital asset business services under the Nebraska Financial Innovation Act to individual customers or a customer that is a legal entity other than a natural person engaged in a bona fide business which is lawful under the laws of Nebraska, the laws of the host state if the entity is headquartered in another state, and federal law.

(3) The deposit limitations of subdivision (2)(a)(ii) of section 8-157 shall not apply to a digital asset depository.

(4) Any United States currency coming into an account established by a customer of a digital asset depository institution shall be held in a financial institution, the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which maintained a main-chartered office in this state, any branch thereof in this state, or any branch of the financial institution which maintained the main-chartered office in this state prior to becoming a branch of such financial institution.

(5) A digital asset depository institution shall establish and maintain programs for compliance with the federal Bank Secrecy Act, in accordance with 12 C.F.R. 208.63, as the act and rule existed on January 1, 2023.

(6) A digital asset depository shall help meet the digital financial needs of the communities in which it operates, consistent with safe and sound operations, and shall maintain and update a public file available to any person on request and on any Internet website or mobile application it maintains containing specific information about its efforts to meet community needs, including:

(a) The collection and reporting of data;

(b) Its policies and procedures for accepting and responding to consumer complaints; and

(c) Its efforts to assist with financial literacy or personal finance programs to increase knowledge and skills of Nebraska students in areas such as digital assets, budgeting, credit, checking and savings accounts, loans, stocks, and insurance.

Source:Laws 2021, LB649, § 5; Laws 2022, LB707, § 27; Laws 2023, LB92, § 22.
Operative Date: June 7, 2023

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