The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has rejected an application from Amsterdam-based digital bank Bunq to establish a new national bank in the United States. bunq, a European challenger bank founded by Ali Niknam in 2012, first sought a U.S. charter several years earlier before withdrawing that filing in early 2024 amid differences between Dutch and American supervisors. It refiled in early 2026 through a proposed holding company, bunq US Holding LLC, majority-owned by Niknam, who also controls the Dutch parent bunq B.V. The OCC identified multiple shortcomings after reviewing the application materials, conducting field investigations, and examining related supervisory information. Organizers initially proposed a $50 million injection, later revised upward to about $58.3 million, with funds said to come from Niknam’s personal resources or a dividend from the Dutch bank.