- Revolut stated on March 1 final yr that it will be given inexperienced gentle ‘any day now’
- 362 days later wait continues, inflicting embarrassment for boss Nik Storonsky
- Revolut utilized for a licence from the Bank in 2021 to permit it to develop providers
Still ready: Revolut chief govt Nik Storonsky
Revolut continues to be ready for a UK banking licence virtually a yr after claiming approval was ‘imminent’.
The monetary app stated on March 1 final yr that it will be given the inexperienced gentle by regulators ‘any day now’.
But 362 days later the wait continues – inflicting embarrassment for founder and chief govt Nik Storonsky (proper).
Revolut utilized for a licence from the Bank of England in 2021 to permit it to develop providers in Britain into taking deposits, making loans and providing bank cards.
At the time it was credited because the UK’s most beneficial fintech, price an estimated £26billion.
But three years on it’s nonetheless wading by calls for from the central financial institution’s Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA).
Revolut has remained unforthcoming concerning the licence in current months, resulting in hypothesis that it may have paused or pulled its utility. Revolut and the PRA declined to remark.
The ongoing delays sparked an outburst from Storonsky final yr when he branded Britain as an undesirable place to do enterprise. Analysts dismissed the spiky feedback as a ‘tantrum’ and ‘bitter grapes’ as regulators refused to log off approval.
Yet 36 new UK ‘start-up’ banks have been authorised by the PRA since 2013 – together with Monzo and Starling Bank.
The delay continues to be a serious blow for Revolut. The firm – whose chairman is City grandee Martin Gilbert – noticed its valuation plunge final yr to £14bn following an investor writedown.
Revolut has additionally did not publish its accounts on time two years in a row. And when 2021’s had been lastly revealed final March, they attracted intense scrutiny after Revolut’s auditor BDO stated it was not in a position to independently confirm three-quarters of its £636m income.
It warned that some info could also be ‘materially mis-stated’.In December, Revolut revealed its 2022 outcomes three months late, posting losses of £25m – depreciating from a £40m revenue the yr earlier than.