PayPal follows crypto firms in pursuit of U.S. bank charter

PayPal Holdings Inc. has now formally applied to become a U.S.‑chartered bank, submitting a written application to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions to form a Utah-chartered industrial loan company, to be known as PayPal Bank. 

“Securing capital remains a significant hurdle for small businesses striving to grow and scale,” PayPal Chief Executive Officer Alex Chriss said in the statement. “Establishing PayPal Bank will strengthen our business and improve our efficiency, enabling us to better support small-business growth and economic opportunities across the U.S.”

It is worth noting that the company already holds a banking license in Luxembourg and is also interested in offering customers interest-bearing savings accounts as the firm expands and enhances its consumer-focused financial products.

PayPal seeks bank status to expand lending and join fintech boom

PayPal’s recent plan aims to increase the company’s small-business lending capacity and decrease its reliance on third-party financial partners, the company said in a press release on Monday.

If approved by regulators, PayPal Bank would open the door for the payments juggernaut to offer deposits insured by the FDIC, streamline lending for loans, and potentially roll out interest-bearing savings products as part of its broader consumer finance portfolio. 

Strengthening PayPal’s balance-sheet capabilities will help combat the lingering capital challenges faced by small businesses nationwide, PayPal CEO Alex Chriss said.

This application comes amid a notable surge in banking charter activity among both fintech and cryptocurrency‑linked firms. Just a few days ago, in the wake of this situation, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) granted conditional preliminary approvals to a handful of crypto and digital asset companies, including Circle Internet Group, Ripple Labs, BitGo, Paxos, and Fidelity Digital Assets, to establish or convert into federally chartered national trust banks.

These are critical moves in integrating crypto companies into the mainstream banking industry, but final permitting and full functionality will depend on a plethora of regulatory prerequisites.

Unlike some of these crypto firms, which are pursuing national trust bank charters under federal oversight to provide custody, payments, and asset management services, PayPal’s charter bid is focused on expanding lending and deposit services within its existing ecosystem. And yet, the move is part of a larger pattern in the U.S. regulatory landscape today, which is much more amenable to innovation and the entry of non-traditional players into banking.

Regulatory shifts spur bank charter rush

The new momentum around bank charters for digital finance companies stems from policy changes and regulatory signals this year that have relaxed barriers for non-bank entrants. The regulatory clarity offered by a federal charter provides crypto firms with more access and a deeper connection to banks in such a national market, even as some trade groups, as well as traditional banks themselves, question risk standards and definitions of banking authority. 

Beyond the now-approved crypto firms, Nissan Motor Co.’s financing arm applied for the same charter that PayPal pursued earlier this year, and Japan’s Sony Group Corp. has also applied to become a bank.

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, interest in becoming a bank has jumped compared to the Biden administration’s term, when very few applications were submitted, let alone considered, based on an understanding that approval would be challenging.

If PayPal’s application is approved, Mara McNeill, a former CEO of Toyota Motor Corp.’s financing arm, is expected to oversee the new bank, guiding PayPal’s next step in integrating conventional banking capabilities with its global payments network.

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