“Seven years ago, the founders of Current envisioned a challenger bank that would balance blockchain-based services with traditional banking. This was well before the term “decentralized finance” existed and when cryptocurrency was in its infancy.”

“Brazil’s economic downturn may represent an opportunity for Latin America’s newest listed lender to gain market share aggressively despite the riskier environment, the founder and CEO of digital bank Nubank (NU.N) , David Velez, said. The fintech debuted on the New York Stock Exchange less than two months ago as Latin America’s most valuable financial institution, worth $52 billion.”

“Today, Monzo is moving out of closed beta and opening Monzo to customers across America! The wait(list) is over – if you want a Monzo account, just download the app and apply. If you’re eligible, you could have your account up and running in 10 minutes.”

“The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs determined that Chime Financial, Inc.’s advertising for its “SpotMe” program disclosed the material information necessary to ensure that claims about its program are substantiated and that Chime’s “no overdraft fees” claims are supported. Further, NAD found that the Chime homepage adequately qualifies its “no fees” claim so that consumers understand that out-of-network ATM fees are not among the hidden fees it eliminates. However, NAD recommended that Chime qualify claims on its “No Hidden Fees” webpage and television advertising to make clear that the eliminated fees do not include out-of-network ATM fees.”

“Financial-technology firm Chime said customers can now deposit cash at more than 8,500 Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. locations, another example of non-banks pushing deeper into consumer finance. Users of Chime accounts won’t have to pay any fees for the service, the San Francisco-based company said in a statement Monday. The firm, which partners with banks to offer checking accounts and other financial services, said about 78% of the U.S. population lives near a Walgreens location.”

“Walgreens’ latest banking services take pages from the playbooks of digitally savvy retailers like Starbucks and Amazon — as well as neobanks. At the heart of Walgreens’ new bank offerings is its myWalgreens reward app. This approach has echoes of Starbucks and Amazon. The coffee chain became one of the few early success stories in mobile payments by building the capability on top of its popular rewards card. And Amazon offers a wide range of payment cards that don’t scrimp on rewards — users of its secured card earn the same 5% back on Amazon spending as users of its private-label and open-loop credit cards.”

“Revolut intends to launch a credit card for its US users as soon as the end of this year, as part of its strategy to make a big impression in the overseas market. It will mark the first time the digital bank has launched a credit card outside select European countries, where it is able to passport its Lithuanian banking licence.”

“Chime is a banking application which serves millions of users—but it’s not actually a bank. And it racked up an unusually large number of consumer protection cases over the last year—920 complaints at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and thousands at the Better Business Bureau. The majority of the CFPB complaints regard forced account closure—accounts closed against a consumer’s will without immediately refunding the consumer’s account balance in the process.”

“NorthOne , the FinTech that built one of the country’s leading banking apps for small businesses, today announced that it has partnered with The Bancorp Bank, Member FDIC, to provide banking services to NorthOne’s fast growing customer base, and Galileo Technologies to deliver more processing services to new and existing NorthOne customers. What The Bancorp Bank’s other consumer FinTech partners have done for American individuals, NorthOne will now be able to do for small business owners by joining forces with one of the top banking and technical infrastructure partners in the financial industry.”

“Lance, a new challenger bank for freelancers, is hoping to grab a significant share of the approximately 60 million gig workers in the U.S . The fintech closed a $2.8 million seed round Tuesday, with investors including Barclays, BDMI, Great Oaks Capital, Imagination Capital, Techstars and DFJ Frontier, among other angel investors. Lance, whose Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)-insured deposits are held at Charlottesville, Virginia-based Blue Ridge Bank , uses automation to address the typical volatility of a freelancer’s income by creating a series of sub-accounts for the user.”

“i2c Inc. , a global leader in digital payments and banking technology, today announced a new partnership with fintech, Zolve which provides immigrants moving to or visiting the United States with the financial services tools they need for their journey. Zolve allows users to establish a bank account from their home country for use in the United States, as well as debit and credit services. These accounts come with FDIC protection (through partner bank) for amounts up to $250,000 and can be established completely online before arriving in the USA, with any amount as a starting balance and no upfront fees.”

“Colin Walsh always planned to do things differently than most fintech startups. The Varo Money CEO had a strategy to outcompete incumbent banks for customers who live paycheck to paycheck, and it involved becoming a bank rather than challenging the system from the outside. The approval process took more than three years, and it required an upfront investment of roughly $100 million . But Walsh said in a recent interview that the company is executing on a long-term vision.”

“FinTron Invest (“FinTron”) – a new FinTech company, built by the mobile generation, for the mobile generation – announced today a new partnership with LendingClub Bank, National Association, Member FDIC, America’s leading digital marketplace bank. This partnership allows FinTron to offer its customers low-cost mobile banking services, including FDIC-insured checking accounts that earn interest, free ATM withdrawals worldwide, and online check deposits – all through the FinTron app.”

“Banks and fintechs are encouraging acts of generosity by making it easy for customers to transfer money to various causes through keep-the-change programs, recurring payments and donor-advised funds, charitable investment accounts traditionally regarded as vehicles for the wealthy. Opening an account at Greenwood Financial, a digital bank for Black and Hispanic customers, triggers the donation of five meals to a family through the nonprofit Goodr. Customers can also round up debit card transactions and direct the difference to the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund and other groups.”

“Fortú emerged from a year in stealth mode on Thursday in partnership with SoFi’s Galileo unit and LendingClub. Fortú’s founders aim to address challenges that Latinos face in the US banking market. Fortú’s founders aim to address challenges that Latinos face in the US banking market, such as overreliance on nonbank financial institutions to send remittances abroad and regulations limiting services in languages other than English. Fortú offers features including a mobile app, a debit card and savings account, and remittance transfers in partnership with payment solutions provider Wise.”

“Greenwood, the digital banking platform for Black and Latino individuals and business owners, today announced it has selected Mastercard as its network of choice for its first debit card. The Greenwood matte black debit Mastercard will provide cardholders a digital-centric user experience, an extensive list of security and concierge benefits, and innovative giveback programs focused on supporting Black and Latino causes and businesses.”