Why does Revolut insist on buying this Turkish bank? Regulatory licenses are the real necessity

2026-01-07 15:26:43

【BitPush】UK fintech unicorn Revolut is targeting the Turkish market and is in acquisition talks with the local digital bank Fups. This is not just simple business expansion—what is Revolut truly after?

Fups holds a complete financial license under Turkey’s digital banking framework issued in 2022. This license is quite significant. With an initial capital of approximately $81 million and a team of around 60 people, Fups may not seem large from a digital perspective, but its regulatory qualification is the key to entering the Turkish market.

This is what Revolut truly cares about. For a global fintech giant expanding internationally, obtaining local regulatory approval usually requires a lot of time and cost. Directly acquiring a licensed digital bank allows for rapid compliance and operational qualification—it’s more cost-effective than going through the application process itself. Customer base and technological accumulation can be built up over time. But a regulatory license? That’s an insurmountable hard barrier.

This case illustrates a phenomenon: in the global expansion of fintech, regulatory qualifications themselves are a scarce asset. Whoever holds the license holds the key to market access.

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TokenomicsDetective

· 01-10 08:03

Licenses are the real hard currency. To put it simply, it's about buying a shell to get on board quickly, saving yourself the hassle of arguing with regulatory authorities for a long time.

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BitcoinDaddy

· 01-10 01:40

Licensing is the real game-changer, and Revolut's move is really clever... Instead of waiting for approval from regulators, it's better to buy a ready-made solution. The approval process in Turkey probably won't be quick either.

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AlwaysQuestioning

· 01-09 09:29

Basically, it's about obtaining a license. Is there still a need for analysis given how obvious it is? Revolut's approach is different from other tech giants—spend money to buy compliance directly, saving time and effort.

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SmartContractPhobia

· 01-07 15:55

Basically, it's just spending money to buy licenses. Revolut's approach is no different from other big companies; regulation is the biggest business.

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ImpermanentSage

· 01-07 15:53

Basically, it's about buying a shell. I understand the logic that one license is worth 81 million USD.

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FOMOSapien

· 01-07 15:53

Basically, it's about buying a license, not buying people haha

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CoffeeOnChain

· 01-07 15:52

A regulatory license is really a "passport" for fintech companies. Instead of lining up for approval, it's better to buy a shell that already has a license. Revolut's move is quite old-fashioned but truly effective.

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