bunq, Europe’s second-largest neobank, has formally applied for a US de novo banking license with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
The move is part of its plan to serve global citizens and digital-native professionals who live and work between the US and Europe.
The challenger has focused its services on digital nomads, who often face limitations with existing financial systems.
bunq intends to offer secure digital payments, strong authentication, and AI-powered fraud detection to support everyday transactions and high-risk situations such as international travel.
Upon approval, bunq plans to launch in US metropolitan areas with significant expat populations.
The bank will allow eligible users to open both US and European accounts and help new arrivals build credit scores using European financial records.
“Our users are building their lives across borders, so they need a bank that is safe, secure and easy to use, wherever they are,”
said Ali Niknam, Founder and CEO of bunq.
“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.”
The filing follows FINRA’s approval of bunq’s broker-dealer license.
The bank began the US banking license process in 2023 and obtained the broker-dealer license to support its US market entry.
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by brilian via Freepik
