2021—the year the Digital Banking space said, “hold my beer, and watch this”… Only to quite literally make giant leaps towards the top that successfully made heads turn thanks to its various ingenious breakthroughs.From an initial unbundling proposition of focusing on one product and niche customer segments, independent digital banks have matured and are now challenging incumbents across multiple financial products, customer cohorts, and borders. Continuing on our observance from 2020’s Top 20 Neobanks, this year’s roundup puts the spotlight on the Top 20 Independent Digital Banks through the lens of the shifts, growth hacks, and exit strategies embraced by these unique-orns: Sailing Through A Steady BreezeThe unwavering spirit of the top 5 decacorns bore a striking resemblance to last year’s ranking – with the minor swapping of Nubank stealing Chime’s thunder by taking the first rank this year. This can be attributed to the Latin American fintech raking in about 50 million customers over the last three years, out of which 72% are active users. Nu, presently valued at $45B, began as a simple credit card provider and is now stepping up the ante towards becoming a super-app after its recent IPO. By launching an e-commerce platform, as well […]