regulated lending

Fintech lender Upgrade has applied for an industrial loan company charter, which would give the company its own FDIC-insured bank. The move follows a path taken by several other fintechs, and Upgrade says the charter would let it hold deposits directly while keeping its existing partnerships with partner banks and loan purchasers intact.

Finland has proposed that eurozone bank supervisors take economic growth into account when overseeing lenders, but the European Central Bank is pushing back against the idea. The clash highlights tension between financial stability mandates and growing political pressure in some member states to loosen supervisory standards to support lending and investment.

ISLA Americas says industry collaboration will be central as the securities finance market enters its next phase of growth. The industry body's message points to expanding participation in securities lending and repo, with firms, regulators and market infrastructure expected to work together on standards and efficiency as the business scales.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has released its 2025 fair lending report to Congress, an annual accounting of the agency's enforcement and supervision work on lending discrimination. The document typically covers activity on race, national origin, and other protected-class issues in credit markets. Detailed findings from the report have not yet been widely summarized.

More than 475 organizations have signed a joint appeal urging US banking regulators to protect the Community Reinvestment Act, the law requiring banks to serve low- and moderate-income communities. The coalition, spanning housing, community development and civil rights groups, warns that weakening CRA enforcement would reduce lending and investment in underserved neighborhoods. Advocates are pressing regulators to maintain strong oversight as proposed rule changes move forward.

Jeonbuk Bank, a South Korean lender, has introduced loan products backed by Bitcoin, allowing customers to borrow against their cryptocurrency holdings. The move marks a notable step for a mainstream bank in a country where crypto trading is widespread but regulation remains strict. Financial observers say it signals growing institutional acceptance of digital assets, though details on lending terms and regulatory approval have not been fully disclosed.

Jeonbuk Bank has issued South Korea's first corporate loans denominated in won and backed by Bitcoin collateral, a milestone in the country's regulated crypto lending market. The move lets companies borrow against their Bitcoin holdings instead of selling them, and is being covered across multiple outlets as a sign that Korean banks are deepening their embrace of digital assets.