A new giant comes to stomp in the Argentine financial ecosystem. He Central Bank formally approved the purchase of Banco Cetelem Argentina SAa consumer credit institution belonging to the French group BNP Paribas Personal Finance, on behalf of Revolut, the most valuable neobank in Europe.
With the approval of the regulator, the local subsidiary will change its corporate name to Revolut Bank Argentina SAU. The move grants it from the outset something that other giants in the sector are still patiently processing: its own banking license to capture deposits and financial intermediation under the supervision of the monetary authority. In the cat flap, the giant Mercado Libre awaits confirmation to begin operating as a bank, something that could happen before the end of the year, according to what has emerged in recent days.
According to the British company, at first products will not be made available to the public, since the team will focus on completing the operational, technological and capital integration required by the organization chaired by Santiago Bausili.
However, the landing of this colossus already generates some concern among banks and wallets that operate in Argentina. At a global level, Revolut has more than 80 million users and a presence in 40 countries. And in the local market, the expectation did not wait: More than 150,000 people have already signed up for their waiting list.
To command the Argentine operation, Revolut chose an expert in the local terrain and the fintech world: AgustÃn Danza, former Mercado Pago and who previously led the project to bring Nubank to the country, will formally take over as CEO once the regulatory procedures have been completed. “This is an important milestone in our long-term commitment to Argentina. Receiving approval from the Central Bank puts us one step away from establishing our banking operations in the country, as we continue to build local capabilities and prepare to bring Revolut’s global financial platform closer to Argentine customers,” Danza said.
The management team also added a significant name from traditional banking: Juan Marotta, former number one of HSBC Argentina and former CEO of HSBC South America, will take over as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the entity.
The British company’s strategy is to land with its comprehensive superapp model.. Faced with a market dominated by the fragmentation of services, Revolut is committed to concentrating daily banking operations, lines of credit, multi-currency international transfers and consumption, and investment alternatives on a single screen. (wealth)rewards programs and lifestyle benefits.
Revolut aims to be the largest digital bank in the world. With a presence in 40 markets, it operates as a fully licensed bank in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia and the European Economic Area (EEA).
The company recently launched Revolut Bank in Mexico, its first fully licensed banking entity outside of Europe, which already serves more than 1 million retail customers.
Revolut is further accelerating its international growth following conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for its U.S. domestic banking charter, with remaining FDIC, Federal Reserve, and final OCC approvals still underway ahead of its proposed 2027 launch. Additionally, in 2026 the company has continued to make progress in obtaining licenses in the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Colombia, and South Africa.