Democrats grill CFPB nominee over CapOne, staff-cut plan

Capital One executive Brian Johnson weathered a testy exchange with Sen. Elizabeth Warren over potential conflicts of interest. Johnson said the CFPB has “deficiencies” but is “capable of great good.”

By Dan Ennis • July 24, 2026

Upstart nabs conditional bank charter

“We've been challenged extensively throughout the process, and that's exactly what should happen when an institution is seeking the privilege of becoming a national bank,” an Upstart executive said.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 24, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Banking Dive

Challenges in banking are as varied as lenders. One Alaska credit union is solving how to serve a vast rural base, while a Chicago bank anticipates the regulatory uptick that accompanies growth.

By Banking Dive staff

OCC rejects Wise’s trust charter application over ‘deficiencies’

The British fintech said it plans to submit a new application for a U.S. trust charter under a Genius Act framework.

By Caitlin Mullen • July 24, 2026

GOP lawmakers press Fed’s Bowman for faster bank M&A approvals

Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee this week urged Michelle Bowman to conduct a review of “long-pending applications” focused on “removing obstacles to final action.”

By Caitlin Mullen • July 23, 2026

Warren sounds alarm on CFTC staffing

“The CFTC may be inhibited in meeting [its] mandate due to staffing cuts that threaten to weaken its enforcement,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote to a government watchdog.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 23, 2026

Celsius founders to pay FTC $16.5M

Alex Mashinsky and Shlomi Daniel Leon are banned from marketing or selling products to deposit, exchange, invest or withdraw assets. Hanoch Goldstein must not market or sell crypto-trading products.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 21, 2026

Fed bans former Illinois bank exec

James Burns, a former chief lending officer, approved loans based on inflated appraisals, causing the acquirer of his employer to lose money.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 21, 2026

CFPB nominee Johnson agrees to Capital One recusal

The bank executive, who faces the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, pledged to forfeit any unvested Capital One restricted stock. The bank, however, is letting him keep bonuses from 2024 and 2025.

By Dan Ennis • July 21, 2026

Citizens to exit agreements with CoreCivic, GEO

Citizens called the end of its relationships with the ICE contractors “a business decision” that “does not reflect any change in our view regarding these companies' business models or operations.”

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 20, 2026

Kansas’ Small Business Bank fails

The Fed last month gave the Lenexa, Kansas-based lender 30 days to increase its equity, after two previous enforcement actions. It’s the fourth bank collapse of 2026 and the second in seven days.

By Dan Ennis • July 20, 2026

State AGs blow whistle on OppFi, Enova deals

Twenty state attorneys general, led by Illinois AG Kwame Raoul, wrote a letter urging the OCC, Fed and FDIC not to approve the proposed fintech purchases of banks.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 17, 2026

Democrats slam Vought over CFPB ‘trauma’

The acting director of the consumer watchdog on Thursday reiterated his preference to eliminate the agency as he appeared before the Senate Banking Committee.

By Caitlin Mullen • July 17, 2026

Warren, Warsh spar over Bowman’s appearance at private dinner

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said he supports an inspector general’s investigation of Fed Gov. Michelle Bowman’s reported appearance at a private dinner hosted by Bank of America during a Fed blackout period.

By Caitlin Mullen • July 16, 2026

Custodia petitions Supreme Court over Fed access

The Wyoming-based crypto bank has argued unsuccessfully for a Fed master account for years. Now it’s calling the central bank’s denial a “death sentence.”

By Dan Ennis • July 15, 2026

Citi flags potential for more severance this year

The bank, which has reduced headcount by about 5% over the past year, is focused on finding efficiencies to fund investments, executives indicated Tuesday.

By Caitlin Mullen • July 15, 2026

Regulators issue guidance on lending to unauthorized workers

Financial institutions should “identify, measure, monitor and control these risks” in a way that that assesses “a borrower’s willingness and capacity to repay,” regulators said.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 14, 2026

CFPB, union agree to give Trump pick a say on staff-cut plan

Brian Johnson, the nominee to lead the CFPB, would get 60 days to review the workforce reduction plan if the Senate confirms him, a district judge said Thursday.

By Dan Ennis • July 13, 2026

Circle gets OCC’s full trust bank charter nod

The company’s CEO, Jeremy Allaire, said the development “marks a defining step in bringing blockchain technology and digital assets into the core of the U.S. financial system.”

By Dan Ennis • July 10, 2026

Fed stands out among bank enforcement action decline: Brookings

Enforcement action activity by federal banking agencies has fallen over the past decade, according to a study published Wednesday.

By Caitlin Mullen • July 9, 2026

Sony receives OCC’s conditional approval for trust charter

The Japanese conglomerate aims to launch Connectia Trust, which will issue and manage stablecoins, in 2027. Banking trade groups and consumer advocates voiced their objection months ago.

By Dan Ennis • July 8, 2026

Klarna applies for ILC charter

CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski called a U.S. banking license a "natural next step, giving customers tools to borrow responsibly and build financial confidence."

By Lynne Marek • July 7, 2026

AI will reshape financial services, and regulation will follow

As banks move toward AI-first services, managing autonomy will be the main challenge for regulators, according to the U.K.’s primary financial watchdog.

By Makenzie Holland • July 6, 2026

OCC ends enforcement against Patriot Bank

Expenses related to the agreement have totaled over $5 million. CEO Steven Sugarman said he now expects regulatory and FDIC fees to decrease.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 2, 2026

Dive Deposits: The CFPB just redefined 2 weeks’ notice

The bureau gave employees until July 14 to accept a geographic reassignment. Declining the move or failing to respond in time “will result in your separation from the CFPB,” according to a Tuesday note to staff.

By Dan Ennis • July 2, 2026

EagleBank to pay $9.7M to resolve BSA violations

The Bethesda, Maryland-based lender admitted to knowingly letting customers engage in a check fraud scheme, and to having lax anti-money laundering controls for more than a decade.

By Gabrielle Saulsbery • July 1, 2026