Britain's Revolut has announced its plan to buy a US bank to accelerate global expansion and prepare to launch consumer credit in its home market.
Following this announcement, officials of the company mentioned that it would significantly expand its international footprint, but would still focus on investing in Britain USD 4 billion of a total USD 13 billion. This represents the total sum the firm aims to spend in the global landscape by 2030.
In addition, Revolut is expected to remain committed to the UK, while also actively looking at whether to acquire a US bank or to apply for its own banking licence in the region. At the moment, the priority is set on getting a UK banking licence, a process which has been running for several years, as well as transferring its customers into the new bank and offering them access to optimised credit products. The company aims to obtain the final licence by the end of 2025.
More information on Revolut’s strategy of acquiring a US bank
According to Reuters, officials of Revolut mentioned that its upcoming investments in Britain are set to involve adding 1.000 more staff and capitalising the new UK bank. At the same time, it would also focus on entering 30 new markets by 2030, including the regions of Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.
Revolut reportedly has been weighing the possibility of buying a US lender since July 2025, in a bid to get an American banking licence more rapidly. According to the Financial Times announcement published at the time, the initiative came as the UK fintech continued to wait to clinch a similar accreditation in its home country. Furthermore, the acquisition would give Revolut the capability to expand in the US more quickly than if it were to apply for a banking charter by itself, as the fintech aimed to focus on choosing a potential target that already holds a national licence.
As the company eyes acquiring a US bank, it also aims to obtain its full UK licence as well. According to an article published by The Paypers, which took a deep dive into Revolut’s prolonged journey toward securing a UK banking licence, nearly a year ago, in July 2024, the company secured a UK banking licence after a three-year wait. However, the multinational neobank and fintech company did not obtain the full authorisation, only entering the ‘mobilisation’ stage, which imposed several restrictions on its operations and was set to last a minimum of 12 months.
