Aspiration, an 8-year-old Los Angeles-based challenger bank, is going public through a merger with special-purpose acquisition company InterPrivate III Financial Partners Inc.

Neobank Chime, which reportedly has around 20 million customers, just closed a blockbuster $750M, bringing its valuation up to $25B and positioning it for an IPO in the first half of next year.

Payments unicorn Brex is withdrawing its industrial loan company (ILC) bank charter application to allow it to “modify and strengthen” it and resubmit at a future date.

Monzo, a longtime cool kid in the U.K. challenger bank club, is looking to get out of a Covid-related slump, reporting £114.8M (around $159M) in pre-tax losses last year.

Current, a New York-based digital banking fintech, announced that it’s partnering with The Bancorp Bank to offer an “enhanced suite of services across its entire product line, including its basic, premium and teen accounts.”

HMBradley, a neobank aimed at savers, is moving to an invite-only model amid “explosive demand,” the company said. HMBradley went from zero to $375M in deposits since March 2020.

Square, a company that has long been associated with nifty card readers, just took a leap into a broader financial services product potpourri with its latest rollout of banking products.

Digital banking startup Chime has hired 10 new lawyers this year as industry watchers attempt to read the tea leaves on the company’s possible IPO plans.

In a sweeping executive order signed Friday, July 9, President Joe Biden set forth a number of measures aimed at restricting anti-competitive practices.

Walmart, which offers a debit card issued by Green Dot Bank named Walmart MoneyCard, is adding demand deposit account (DDA) capabilities, transforming the Walmart MoneyCard from a prepaid card to a full-suite checking account.

Wireless provider Verizon this month rolled out an app to allow children to try out banking and personal finance management – with the oversight of their parents.

Revolut, a digital banking platform that operates in more than 30 European countries, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, and the U.S., reported a £168M ($234M) loss for 2020, up 57% year-over-year, but Revolut’s adjusted annual revenues (which take into account crypto) were also up 57% at £261M ($364M).

Dave, a California-based challenger bank, personal finance app and earned-wage access provider, announced plans to merge with VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings III, Inc., a special-purpose acquisition company sponsored by Victory Park Capital.

Square is quickly expanding its territory beyond payments. The firm, which obtained a bank charter in March, is reportedly on the cusp of offering checking and savings accounts for its small-business customers.

Eco, a personal finance app that takes deposits and offers savings accounts paying 2.5-5% interest, appears to undertake a lot of banking activities without positioning itself as a bank or a cryptocurrency firm.