368 new banks worldwide serve 1.46 billion users, two-thirds of whom do not have complete banking licenses

According to NeobankBeat data, as of July 2026, there are a total of 368 active new banks worldwide, serving approximately 1.46 billion users, of which 817 million are located in Asia and WeBank has over 400 million users. Out of 368 new banks, only 127 hold complete banking licenses, with two-thirds relying on sponsoring banks, electronic currency licenses, or card issuers for operation. This structure led to WaveCrest's withdrawal of issuance rights by Visa in 2018, Wirecard's collapse and freezing of banks in multiple European locations in 2020, and the collapse of Synapse in 2024, resulting in user FDIC insurance not living up to its name.