Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Robinhood pulls bank charter application as fintechs face hurdles to disrupting financial system

Robinhood pulls bank charter application as fintechs face hurdles to disrupting financial system

Stock-trading start-up Robinhood is pulling its bank charter application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which was submitted earlier this year. A Robinhood spokesperson said the withdrawal was voluntary.

A source familiar with the decision said the charter withdrawal did not reflect a change in the company’s road map.

The $7.6 billion company’s change of heart highlights the struggles tech companies can face when trying to disrupt the banking system.

Robinhood is no longer looking to become a federally insured bank.

The stock-trading start-up announced Wednesday that it was pulling its bank charter application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which was submitted earlier this year. A Robinhood spokesperson said the withdrawal was voluntary. But the move highlights the struggles a tech company can face when trying to upend the financial system.

“Robinhood will continue to focus on increasing participation in the financial system and challenging the industry to better serve everyone,” the spokesperson told CNBC. “We appreciate the efforts and collaboration of all the parties we worked with throughout this process.”

The Menlo Park, California-based company, offers commission-free stock and cryptocurrency trading. It also launched a cash management account almost a year after the botched announcement of what it called a checking and savings account with a 3% interest rate. A day later, the digital brokerage firm announced it would re-launch and re-name the product, catching the attention of U.S. senators in the process who said they were “concerned” that Robinhood and other fintech companies may be dodging regulatory scrutiny. A source familiar with Wednesday’s announcement said the charter withdrawal does not reflect a change in the company’s product plans.

While Robinhood’s change of heart highlights tech’s struggles to disrupt the banking industry, it shouldn’t be a major setback for much of the company’s plans. Fintech has the ability to offer many of the same products as Wall Street firms, without the same regulatory requirements, through partner banks. Teaming up with FDIC-insured banks to handle customer deposits is a popular set-up for tech companies in financial services. The start-up handles the app and customer experience, while the bank holds customer deposits. Apple and Goldman Sachs are the most high-profile example of that teamwork with the launch of the Apple Card. Google and Citi are also partnering to launch a Google-branded debit account.


Fast track bank charter shut down


Jack Dorsey’s Square has applied for a special industrial loan company license with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, which allows less traditional financial firms to accept government-insured deposits. Varo Money, a mobile-only banking start-up, made history as the first fintech to receive preliminary approval for a national bank charter from the OCC. They still need full approval from the agency, as well as FDIC approval, according to the CEO.

Fintech companies had welcomed a special bank charter that cleared a quicker path for them to become a bank. But that was shut down in October after a federal district court in New York decided that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the regulator issuing the charters, didn’t have the authority to do so. That also meant that finance start-ups will have to go through the same drawn out process as everyone else.

Robinhood ushered in a $7.6 billion valuation after its latest funding round. The company first shook up the brokerage space in 2013 with commission-free trading. Major incumbents like Charles Schwab and Fidelity have slashed fees to zero commissions since.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×