Banco Cetelem Argentina

Fintech · Digital Banking · Latin America

Acquisition

Revolut Wins BCRA Approval to Acquire Argentina's Banco Cetelem

Buying an already-licensed bank lets the fintech skip Argentina's yearslong charter process before a planned 2027 launch.

• Argentina's central bank approved Revolut's acquisition of Banco Cetelem Argentina from BNP Paribas Personal Finance, a deal first announced in June 2025.
• Revolut is Europe's largest digital bank, with over 80 million customers globally and licensed banking operations across the UK, EU, Mexico and Australia.
• Once the deal closes, Banco Cetelem will be renamed Revolut Bank Argentina S.A.U. and will not immediately offer public services while it completes remaining capital and regulatory requirements.
• More than 150,000 Argentine consumers have joined Revolut's waitlist since it announced plans to enter the country, with a commercial launch targeted for 2027.
• Agustín Danza, a former Nubank and Mercado Pago executive, is set to become CEO of Revolut Bank Argentina, with a local board chaired by ex-HSBC Argentina CEO Juan Marotta.
• Argentina's central bank is simultaneously advancing a banking license for Mercado Pago's Mercado Banco, setting up a direct rivalry between two of the region's largest fintech platforms.
• Acquiring an already-regulated bank lets Revolut bypass Argentina's slow greenfield licensing process, a shortcut fintechs increasingly use to enter tightly regulated Latin American banking markets.