- FINRA approves bunq’s broker-dealer license, completing phase one of its US entry
- bunq expands Stateside to meet the needs of its growing user base with ties across the Atlantic
- The license enables bunq users to invest in US stocks, including mutual funds and ETFs
New York City, 27 October 2025 - 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. The approval marks bunq’s first step in bringing its user-centric products across the Atlantic.
As an approved broker-dealer, the mobile bank will be able to bring its US stocks offering to American users, giving them access to self-directed investing, including mutual funds and ETFs, as part of its wider product rollout.
bunq is expanding to bring its user-centric approach to the millions of digital nomads, expats, international entrepreneurs, and remote professionals with ties to both sides of the Atlantic; a model that has already attracted more than 20 million users across Europe.
“Our users roam the world – they live, work, and travel across borders,” said Ali Niknam, founder and CEO of bunq. “For many, the US is an important part of their lives. That’s why we’re excited to bring bunq Stateside and make life easy for Americans and anyone who calls it home.”
About bunq
Founded in 2012 by serial entrepreneur Ali Niknam, bunq has brought lasting change to the European banking industry. By having its users at the heart of the business and building a product rooted in their wants and needs, bunq quickly scaled to become the second largest neobank in the EU. Serving those with an international lifestyle across the European Economic Area, 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 at the end of 2022. On its mission to build the first global neobank for digital nomads, in April 2025, bunq announced it’s fast-tracking its entry in the US by applying for a broker-dealer license and planning to reapply for the full banking license later the same year.
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