Revolut is taking another shot at U.S. banking. The company filed for a national bank charter with federal regulators. It ditched its previous California state application.
The London fintech giant is valued at $75 billion. It’s got over 70 million customers worldwide. Now it wants a real foothold in America.
Revolut submitted applications to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the FDIC. The proposed entity: “Revolut Bank US, N.A.” It’s also named Cetin Duransoy as its new U.S. CEO. He’ll lead the expansion. He’s replacing Sid Jajodia, who’s moving to global chief banking officer.
“This is a major milestone toward creating a global banking platform,” said Revolut founder Nik Storonsky.
A national charter changes everything. Revolut could operate across all 50 states. Single federal framework. No more state-by-state regulatory maze.
The benefits are huge. Direct access to Fedwire and ACH payment rails. FDIC-insured deposits. New products like personal loans and credit cards. All unlocked.
This represents a strategy shift. Revolut went after a California state banking license in 2021. Withdrew it in 2023. That effort stalled on regulatory hurdles and internal control concerns. The company reconsidered its approach.
Revolut’s joining a crowd. Fintech and crypto firms are chasing full banking status. Nubank got conditional OCC approval. So did Crypto.com. Circle, Ripple, BitGo, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos already secured federal charters.
The trend is clear. Digital finance companies see banking licenses as essential infrastructure. They’re not optional anymore. They enable new products. They deepen customer relationships.
Success would transform Revolut’s U.S. position. It currently operates across 40 markets globally. A charter would intensify competition. Traditional banks versus fintech platforms versus crypto-native services. Regulatory boundaries keep blurring. Digital-first companies keep pushing into traditional banking territory.
