US regulator rejects Bunq's bank charter application

A U.S. regulator has declined Bunq's application for a bank charter, blocking for now the Dutch neobank's route to operating as a licensed bank in the United States. Bunq, which holds a European banking licence, had positioned the U.S. as a growth market aimed at expatriates and digital nomads. A rejected charter application leaves the firm reliant on alternative routes such as partner-bank arrangements or a renewed filing. The grounds for the decision were not detailed.