Starling Bank Is Exploring Direct US Banking License, CEO Says

December 2, 2025, 3:57 PM UTC

Starling Bankis examining ways to expand its banking operations in the US, and is now weighing the option of a direct license alongside potentially buying a nationally chartered bank there, according Chief Executive Officer Raman Bhatia.

“We are exploring both in tandem,” Bhatia said at the Financial Times Global Banking Summit on Tuesday. “We are open-minded.”

London-based Starling is part of a raft of UK fintechs that are seeking to widen their footprints in America as President Donald Trump plans to usher in an era of financial deregulation. In June, Bloomberg News reported that Starling was looking to ...

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