This week the Texas Department of Banking Commissioner, Charles G. Cooper, issued a cease and desist order to an alleged ‘decentralized cryptocurrency-bank’ called Arise Bank. The commissioner explains the startup unlawfully claims to be a banking institution and its operations must stop engaging with residents from the state of Texas.

Arise Banks Alleged Purchase of a Century Old FDIC Bank and Bitshares Connections

State of Texas Orders 'Decentralized Bank' ICO Project to Cease OperationsBack in December, some headlines started to spread on the web about a partnership between Arise Bank and a 100-year-old FDIC insured bank in the U.S. Arise Bank is an initial coin offering (ICO) that claims to have many strategic alliances. The news initially spread its wings when it was published on the popular online publication the Huffington Post, but the story has since been scrubbed. A copied version of the story still appears on the financial website Zerohedge.

Arise Bank claimed to be a “decentralized cryptocurrency bank” that offers a 100-page white paper, financial management services, debit cards, and an ICO. Further, Arise bank has associations with Bitshares community and the well-known developer Stan Larimer had also written about the project on Steemit. Unfortunately for Arise Bank, there’s a lot of people who question the legitimacy of its services and state that lots of its so-called operations are non-existent.

Texas Banking Commissioner: ‘Arise Bank Must Stop Implying That They Engage in the Business of Banking in Texas’

Now the Texas Department of Banking wants Arise Bank to cease its operations immediately and details that the startup has violated the state’s financial statutes.

“The Cease & Desist Order was based on the Commissioner’s finding that Arise Bank violated Texas Finance Code Chapter 31 by using the term “bank” in its name and marketing materials to imply that it is in the business of banking in this state — The order requires Arise Bank to cease and desist from implying that they engage in the business of banking in Texas. Arise Bank is further required to clearly disclose that they do not offer their services to consumers in Texas,” explains Commissioner Charles G. Cooper.

"In accordance with Texas Finance Code §§ 31.005 and 35.207, Respondents are ordered to cease and desist from implying that they engage in the business of banking in Texas, whether through the website www.arisebank.com or any other online site or profile. "