bunq completes first phase of US banking license filing as it reports its second consecutive year of profits
- Breaking into the US: bunq has filed for a broker-dealer license, fast-tracking its much-anticipated entry into the US market. This move marks the first step in a two-phase strategy, with bunq set to refile for a full banking license later this year.
- 65% surge in profits: As revealed in its annual accounts filed today, bunq's net profit soared to €85.3 million in 2024 (a 65% jump from €51.6 million in 2023), marking its second consecutive year of profitability.
- 17 million users and growing: bunq’s rapid international expansion has propelled it to 17 million users across Europe – and now, it's setting its sights across the Atlantic.
New York City, April 15, 2025 - bunq, the second largest neobank in Europe, is moving forward with its US banking license process. The company has filed for a broker-dealer license as part of a two-phase strategy to enter the US market. This step will enable bunq to gather operational insights and user feedback before reapplying for a full banking license later this year.
As bunq expands into the US, it is bringing its proven, user-centric model to a community of nearly 5 million digital nomads, expats, international entrepreneurs, and remote professionals—EU or US citizens with deep ties on both sides of the Atlantic. This mobile, location-independent audience has driven bunq’s growth in Europe to 17 million users and fueled two consecutive years of profits. Today, in its annual accounts, the company reports 2024 profits of €85.3 million, which will be reinvested to accelerate its global expansion.
“Our users live an international lifestyle, and they need a bank that’s global too. As we grow, it’s clear how much they need a bank that works for them, wherever life takes them”, says Ali Niknam, founder and CEO of bunq. “That’s why we’re fast-tracking our entry into the US. Today’s step brings us closer to making that vision a reality.”
bunq has filed for a broker-dealer license with FINRA and the SEC. This first step will allow American users to invest in stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs, while also offering cash management features such as automatic transfers to FDIC-insured accounts. Through its partnership with Mastercard, the mobile bank will also introduce debit cards.
The company is now awaiting regulatory approval and continues discussions to strengthen its global offering and expand its presence in the US.
About bunq
bunq, Europe’s second-largest neobank, has rebuilt banking from the ground up. As the world’s first AI-powered bank, bunq’s proprietary AI powers every part of the business, from helping users with their finances, to being baked into bunq’s own operations. By developing a product rooted in its users’ wants and needs, bunq makes life easy for location-independent people and businesses, starting from the way they manage money: how they spend, save, budget and invest.
Pioneering many things considered impossible, bunq was the first bank to get a European banking permit in over 35 years, raised the largest series A round ever secured by a European fintech (€193 million), and was the first EU neobank to achieve structural profitability. As part of its mission to build the first global neobank, in October 2025 bunq also took its first step into the US as an approved broker-dealer, with more expansion to follow. Learn more: www.bunq.com
Contact details
Related topics
Related news
London sees biggest coworking cost drop in Europe as living costs stabilise
A slowdown in cost increases across Western Europe, alongside rising prices in parts of Eastern Europe, is creating a more varied picture of affordability for expats and remote workers, according t...
bunq takes its first step into the US with broker-dealer license approval
bunq, Europe’s second-largest neobank, has been approved by FINRA to operate as a US broker-dealer – a move driven by users who live, work and invest across both Europe and the US.
Nearly half of UK festival-goers fall out over money
Festivals might be all about the music, but for many, they’re also a crash course in money management.
39% of young UK couples keep money separate - highest in Europe
Europe’s second-largest neobank, bunq, has surveyed 4,000 people across the UK, France, Spain, and the Netherlands to explore how modern couples approach money.
Ireland ranks among Europe’s most affordable countries to start a business, bunq research finds
For anyone thinking of going freelance or launching their own small business, new research from Europe’s second-largest neobank, bunq, reveals that Ireland is one of the most affordable countries i...