2026: The year everyone became a bank

A growing number of fintech and crypto companies are pursuing US banking charters to gain direct control over financial infrastructure rather than relying on partner banks. Neobanks like Revolut, bunq, Nubank, and PayPal see charters as a way to scale globally and deepen customer relationships, while crypto firms such as Circle, Kraken, and Ripple view them as a path to regulatory legitimacy and institutional trust. A banking license also unlocks benefits like direct access to payment rails, reserve backing, digital asset custody, and tokenization, while reducing exposure to sponsor-bank and third-party risk that has long defined the fintech partnership model.