BBVA and USAA are among a group of participants in a $75 million investment in the Bitcoin wallet provider Coinbase, an unusual move given the cool posture most financial institutions have taken toward virtual currency.

The Louisiana company is the latest out-of-stater to move into the Sunshine State after buying a failed bank in the Florida Panhandle. First NBC's chief executive made it clear his company has more expansion in mind.

U.S. Bancorp in Minneapolis has promoted Andrew Cecere to become its chief operating officer.

PL Capital in Naperville, Ill., disclosed in a regulatory filing last week that it wants Joseph Palmer Jr. and John Yerkes Jr. to resign rather than stand for reelection at the $542 million-asset company's Feb. 10 annual meeting.

Bankwell Financial Group in New Canaan, Conn., has hired a new chief strategy officer.

M&T Bank in Buffalo, N.Y., reported a higher quarterly profit as lower expenses offset tighter margins.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed First National Bank of Crestview in Florida on Friday, marking this year's first bank failure.

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Associated Banc-Corp in Green Bay, Wis., has agreed to buy Ahmann & Martin, a benefits consulting firm in Edina, Minn.

Sunflower Financial in Salina, Kan., has canceled its planned purchase of First Western Financial in Denver. The $1.7 billion-asset Sunflower had agreed in September to buy the $688 million-asset First Financial.

Franklin Financial Network in Franklin, Tenn., has filed for a $50 million initial public offering.

Bank of the Ozarks in Little Rock, Ark., reported a higher profit in the fourth quarter behind record net interest income.

Doral Financial in San Juan, Puerto Rico, disclosed in a regulatory filing Thursday that it sold about $181 million of loans to WOMF REV at a slight premium.

First Sound Bank in Seattle has agreed to buy Eastside Commercial Bank in Bellevue, Wash.

SVB Financial in Santa Clara, Calif., has agreed to sell a specialty finance business in India at a net loss.

Home BancShares in Conway, Ark., swallowed $1.7 million of merger-integration costs in the fourth quarter, capping a year of investment in its expansion.

Citigroup plans to shed 60 branches as part of its ongoing restructuring, a number of which are said to be in California. It shopped some of the California branches last year, and it may again try to sell some of them.

Plaza Bancorp in Irvine, Calif., has agreed to buy Manhattan Bancorp in El Segundo, Calif.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon had to defend the company against calls to break it up, doubts about its ability to command higher prices and greater efficiency, and investor disappointment with fourth-quarter results.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and Sandler O'Neill & Partners commanded the market for bank M&A advisory in 2014, according to data published Wednesday by SNL Financial.