Europe's Fintech Unicorn

Revolut has achieved a historic milestone, reaching a $100 billion valuation after receiving its full UK banking license and launching a crypto exchange with zero fees. The UK-based neobank is now worth more than traditional high street banks like Barclays and Lloyds combined, making it Europe's first 'tech centicorn.' The valuation reflects Revolut's transformation from a simple currency exchange app to a full-service financial superapp serving 45 million customers across 38 countries.

The company's revenue has exploded to $4.2 billion annually, driven by a diverse mix of trading fees, crypto spreads, lending, and premium subscriptions. Revolut's banking license allows it to offer savings accounts with 5.5% APY and business loans at rates 40% lower than traditional banks. The launch of Revolut Crypto with zero trading fees has captured 25% of the European market, positioning the company as a serious competitor to Binance and Coinbase.

The Banking License Advantage

The full banking license gives Revolut access to customer deposits, which it can now use to fund lending and investments while paying depositors competitive interest rates. This creates a powerful flywheel effect where customer growth generates more deposits, which fund more lending, which generates more revenue. Traditional banks took decades to build this infrastructure — Revolut achieved it in eight years through aggressive technology investment and regulatory navigation.