Digital Banks are Now a Real Threat to Incumbents

According to a new survey by Cornerstone Advisors 6 percent of U.S. adults with a checking account consider a digital bank to be their primary bank; this is a 67 percent increase since January 2020 and more than 14 million Americans; Chime leads the way with 4.3 million customers and Dave followed with 2.9 million customers; Chime is now a top 10 bank based on number of consumers who consider them a primary bank; when widening the numbers to including additional bank accounts Cornerstone found 15 percent of Americans are banking with digital banks in some capacity; digital banks are gaining ground at the expense of community banks and credit unions, big banks are still in a dominant position overall; digital only banks are benefiting the most when it comes to the current crisis, but the good times are not guaranteed by any measure; the core customer of a digital bank tends to be younger, which means less money in accounts and more unemployment; digital banking is the way forward and for the first time incumbents of all sizes need to take digital startups more seriously than ever before. Forbes.

  • Todd Anderson

    Todd is the host of PitchIt: the fintech startups podcast, a weekly interview show featuring emerging fintech founders and leading venture capitalists. He is responsible for leading the content team which covers fintech through daily & weekly email newsletters, editorial, virtual events, and in-person conferences. He has been covering fintech, banking, and venture capital for more than 15 years, including speaking regularly at industry events.