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.

The 5-year-old company, which recently raised $131 million, says its strong growth reflects the timeliness of its mission: helping consumers who live paycheck to paycheck build wealth.

CEO Wendy Cai-Lee says Piermont Bank can do it all for financial technology firms: be their commercial banker, be their banking-as-a-service provider and develop APIs and other cutting-edge products for them.

The megabank and community bank recently announced they're offering accounts through the payment app. Both gave similar reasons: They need big tech to help them attract new customers.

The company's new relationship with Billshark highlights its quest for partners that can deliver financial management products to complement its banking services.

American Challenger Bank would offer consumer and commercial products using technology from Temenos. Organizers recently applied with the FDIC for deposit insurance.