Bunq, the Dutch challenger bank which targets tech-savvy customers who live and work in multiple countries, has reapplied for a US banking licence, as it looks to target US metropolitan areas with its banking services.
The Dutch neobank, which has more than 20 million users in Europe, has filed for a US banking licence with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which regulates US national banks.
Bunq is the latest fintech to try to take advantage of a more welcoming approach to fintechs under the government of president Trump. In 2024, Bunq withdrew its application for a US banking licence, citing problems between the Dutch regulator, the OCC and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
The new filing for a banking licence follows Bunq being granted a US broker-dealer licence last year, which it saw as a step to applying for a US banking licence.
Ali Niknam, founder and CEO, Bunq, said: “Our users are building their lives across borders, so they need a bank that is safe, secure and easy to use, wherever they are. We want to give them the freedom to live the way they want, whether they’re heading to America, coming to Europe, or moving between both.”
Bunq suggested some of the services it will launch should it be granted a banking licence.
It said: “Bunq will launch its services starting in US metropolitan areas with large expat communities; the places where its users live, work, and move the most.
"With Bunq, users will also be able to quickly build credit scores—a common challenge for newly-arrived expats—by accessing European financial records, in addition to having the option to open both US and European checking accounts if eligible.”
PayPal, Nubank and Coinbase have also recently applied for US banking charters, under a more welcoming regulatory environment for fintechs under the Trump government.
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