Fintech Expands Its Footing - Issue #547

The Focus

When a company buys a bank, it usually makes headlines for what it gains: assets, customers, market share.

But sometimes the real story is in what it signals.

That’s exactly the case with Revolut’s pending acquisition of Argentina’s Banco Cetelem — a minor lender with just over $6 million in assets. On paper, the deal is small. But what it reveals about fintech expansion in 2025 couldn’t be bigger.

Because in today’s market, the play isn’t disruption. It’s permission.

Around the world, fintech firms aren’t just building new products. They’re applying for licences. Acquiring charters. Locking down full regulatory approval. And not as an afterthought — but as the strategy.

In Argentina, where post-crisis reforms are redrawing the financial system, Revolut isn’t launching with a pilot or beta. It’s entering with a licence — and a commitment to operate under the rules of the system it once sought to outpace.

That shift is everywhere.

Whether it’s Allaria, Ualá, or MercadoLibre in South America — or newer entrants across MENA, Southeast Asia, and Europe — the next phase of fintech is being defined not by code, but by compliance.

Our latest newsletter breaks it down: why licences now signal credibility, not constraint. Why the ability to secure approval is the new moat. And what this tells us about where fintech is going next.

The licence is no longer a formality. It’s the foundation.

Your Voice Matters

Share your insights with us!

🚀 Join over 6,000 fintech professionals staying ahead of the curve. Follow FinTech Weekly for expert insights & industry updates!

FINTECH WEEKLY is powered by

Railslove GmbH

Sign up for our free newsletter!

Every week we curate significant and impactful stories from the global FinTech Communities - Get our weekly News and Event update

Explore Tags

Business

FinTech

Artificial Intelligence

Navigating Cryptocurrency Regulation: Common Sense in an Uncommon Industry

Gayle E. Littleton, David Bitkower, and Justin C. Steffen

The recent, exponential growth of bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies has brought cryptocurrencies firmly into the public eye. Some have... Full Article

Polish FinTech companies attract interest abroad

Jacek Ratajczak

FinTech is currently one of the fastest growing sectors of technology. It is expected that by the year 2020, investment... Full Article

FinTech Weekly x International Women's Day: Interview with Lissele Pratt

Rosalia Mazza

FinTech Weekly x International Women’s Day – In this exclusive interview, Lissele Pratt shares her journey in fintech, the challenges... Full Article

Bitcoin is just the tip of the iceberg: exploring blockchain’s full potential

Cassiopeia Services

If there is one topic setting tongues wagging in FinTech, it is blockchain. Because of its distributed ledger system, Blockchain... Full Article

Why technology-enabled Fund Administrators will become a bigger force with Family Offices

Chris Andraca

The recent and unprecedented spike in the number of millionaires in the US has spurred the creation of ever-more Family... Full Article

Next Conferences

Africa Payments & RegTech Forum

September 4th, 2025

Join us for the Africa Payments & RegTech Forum - an elite gathering of global key influencers, innovators, strategists, and... Read More

EBINTEC Banking Innovation Conference and Exhibition

November 18th, 2025

EBINTEC Banking Innovation Conference and Exhibition is a global conference which is one of the most important and prestigious conferences... Read More