Full banking license for neobrokers: Scalable Capital becomes a bank

Scalable Capital has received a full banking license from the European Central Bank. This allows the Munich-based fintech to accept deposits and grant loans in addition to securities trading. The approval marks an important step in the development of the company, founded in 2014.

With the banking license, Scalable Capital becomes a CRR credit institution supervised by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority ( BaFin ) and the Deutsche Bundesbank. The company can now handle the entire value chain, from custody and stock exchange trading to deposits and loans, in-house.

Development from asset manager to bank

Scalable Capital launched as a digital asset manager in 2014 and gradually expanded its business model to include brokerage services. "We now have all the building blocks in place to unlock the full potential for our clients across Europe," says Erik Podzuweit, founder and co-CEO of Scalable Capital, commenting on the new license. The company emphasizes its vertically integrated business model, in which it develops its own technology.

Distribution across multiple partner banks

A special feature is the planned distribution of Prime+ balances. Starting in October 2025, these will be held not only at Scalable Capital Bank, but also initially at three partner banks. The system takes into account the statutory deposit guarantee of €100,000 per customer and bank.

The allocation of funds should be visible at any time in the app and on the web. This structure potentially increases the insured amount for individual customers, as deposit protection applies separately at each bank.

Scalable Capital is launching its own loan offering, "Credit." Loan amounts range from €1,000 to €100,000. The variable interest rate is 3.24 percent per annum for Prime+ customers and 4.24 percent for Free customers.

The loan model does not have fixed terms or predefined repayment schedules. Interest is calculated daily on the outstanding loan amount. Applications are submitted digitally via the app or the web platform.

Technical infrastructure and trading venues

Since the end of 2024, Scalable Capital has been offering custody services on a proprietary technology platform . The company has also taken over the technical operations of the European Investor Exchange in Hanover. Trading hours will be extended to 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. starting September 15, 2025.

In addition to the European Investor Exchange, clients can trade via Gettex (Munich Stock Exchange) and Xetra (German Stock Exchange). This multiple connection is intended to ensure liquidity and execution quality.

Market position and competition

With the full banking license, Scalable Capital is repositioning itself in the German financial market. While other fintechs continue to rely on collaborative models, the company can now operate independently. This allows for greater control over processes and cost structures.