Should High-Cost Lender Enova Be Allowed to Buy a Bank?
Kevin Wack, American Banker
A proposed bank acquisition that’s under review by federal regulators has become a lightning rod in the long-running fight over the availability of high-cost consumer loans.
Enova International, a nonbank that lends at far higher rates than banks typically do, says that its December 2025 deal to acquire Grasshopper Bancorp remains on track to close in the second half of this year…
Read moreTreasury Begins Review of CDFIs for Alleged Violations
ABA Banking Journal
The Treasury Department today announced it has begun a review of certified community development financial institutions to identify potential legal violations or violations of CDFI requirements.
Trump administration officials have accused Treasury’s CDFI Fund of pursuing a “woke” agenda by supporting race-based lending and “immigration, gender and climate radicalism.” The White House has called for slashing funding…
Read more
U.S. Treasury Taps Venmo as Bitcoin Bill Stalls
Grafa/Bitget
The US Treasury has enabled PayPal and Venmo payments for voluntary public debt contributions via its Pay.gov platform as efforts to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve remain stalled in Congress.
The update highlights the scale mismatch between public donations averaging about $120,000 per month and a national debt nearing $39 trillion, with monthly interest payments alone around $88 billion…
Read moreAgencies finalize changes To Enhance Community Bank Leverage Ratio
FDIC, OCC, and Federal Reserve Board
The federal bank regulatory agencies jointly finalized a rule to modify the community bank leverage ratio consistent with existing statutory authority.
This change will provide community banks with greater flexibility to use a simpler measure of capital adequacy and reduce regulatory burden. The final rule takes into account the unique business models and risk profiles of community banks…
Read more