The digital bank for students, which recently merged with a blank-check company, can tap its new source of capital to diversify and pursue more white-label partnerships.

The investments, part of a post-merger effort to wring out more profits, include new commercial and mortgage lending platforms.

The company, poised to complete its purchase of Radius Bank, will enjoy new cross-selling opportunities, gain additional sources of fee income and capital as well as benefit from greater regulatory clarity, CEO Scott Sanborn says.

Sigal Zarmi, who took on broader duties this fall, is modernizing the company's technological infrastructure and using reverse mentoring to combat bias in the workplace.

The online lender founded by Renaud Laplanche is now a full-fledged challenger bank that can offer generous checking terms because, it says, it can count on its loans for profits.

Felix Todd, formerly of Regions Financial, says "the excitement is authentic" at the New York community development bank, which has a reputation for being both innovative and purpose-driven.

Silvergate and Avanti are among the banks pioneering the incorporation of smart contracts, cryptocurrencies and other cutting-edge instruments into mainstream financial services.

The mobile banking and paperless habits bank customers picked up during the pandemic are here to stay, and financial institutions are working to strengthen their digital offerings, speakers at an American Banker conference said.

The tech firm spun off by Avant, which licenses its lending software to banks, has now raised $140 million this year.