Nu Holdings has begun its long-anticipated U.S. expansion while simultaneously launching Nu Global, a separate digital account built around stablecoins and international transfers. The company said it started releasing both offerings on September 10, giving U.S. customers access to banking products through Lead Bank while opening a global product designed for customers who move money across borders.
The dual launch broadens Nu beyond its core Latin American markets and combines conventional banking services with digital-asset infrastructure. It comes as the company pushes toward a global financial-services model after building a customer base of more than 140 million.
Key Overview
Nu’s U.S. offering includes a deposit account paying 3.50% APY, debit and credit cards, domestic and international transfers, and an initial 1.5% unlimited cashback rate on its credit card. The services are being provided through FDIC-insured Lead Bank because Nu’s own proposed U.S. national bank has not yet received final authorization.
Nu Global operates separately. Customer deposits are converted into USDC or EURC, with advertised yields of 3.50% APY on USDC and 2.20% on EURC. The account also supports transfers across more than 35 countries and access to selected digital assets.
Nu Enters U.S. Banking Through a Partner Model
Nu’s U.S. account pays a variable 3.50% APY on eligible dollar balances, with interest calculated and paid daily. Deposits are held by Lead Bank, while Nu provides the customer-facing technology and experience. Its U.S. launch also includes fee-free transfers, initially covering international transfers to Brazil, Mexico and Colombia before further expansion.
The credit card carries no annual fee and starts with unlimited 1.5% cashback. Nu has also announced a future 2% cashback tier for customers who meet qualifying conditions.
A higher 4.50% APY savings feature is also planned. It will apply to balances of up to $10,000 for customers who hold both the deposit account and Nu credit card and complete qualifying transactions. Until those conditions are met, the standard 3.50% rate applies.
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Nu Global Brings Stablecoins Into Everyday Finance
Nu Global takes a different approach by converting customer deposits into dollar-pegged USDC or euro-pegged EURC. The company’s regulatory filing confirms yields of 3.50% and 2.20% on the two stablecoin balances, respectively.
The product is designed for customers who regularly move money internationally. Transfers are available across more than 35 countries, initially focusing on Europe and Latin America, while integrations with Nu’s operations in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and the U.S. are planned.
Customers also receive a virtual card for international spending and can access a curated selection of digital assets, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. Nu’s own product information says earnings on digital-dollar and digital-euro balances accrue daily, adding a yield component to the cross-border account.
The structure nevertheless differs from a conventional U.S. bank deposit. Nu Global’s balances are converted into stablecoins, while the separate U.S. account uses the partner-bank model with deposits held at Lead Bank.
Nu’s Own U.S. Bank Charter Is Still Conditional
Nu applied to establish Nubank, National Association, in September 2025. The U.S. banking regulator granted preliminary conditional approval in January 2026, but that decision does not yet authorize the proposed bank to begin operations independently.
Before final approval, the proposed bank must satisfy pre-opening conditions, obtain federal deposit insurance and apply for stock in a Federal Reserve Bank. The regulator retains the power to modify, suspend or rescind the preliminary approval before the bank is cleared to commence business.
The proposed national bank is expected to offer conventional lending and deposit services alongside digital-asset custody and related services. The conditional approval also contemplates customer-directed purchases, sales and transfers of bank-custodied digital assets, including on-chain transfers and staking services.
For now, however, Nu’s live U.S. products remain tied to Lead Bank rather than the proposed Nubank, N.A.
Expansion Comes From a Position of Scale
Nu is entering this next stage after continued growth in Latin America. Its second-quarter 2026 results showed 138.9 million customers at the end of June, while the company said its customer base had moved above 140 million by the September launch.
Second-quarter net income reached about $1.06 billion and return on equity was 33%, giving Nu a profitable base from which to fund international expansion.
The U.S. and Nu Global launches therefore represent more than two new products. They test whether Nu can translate the digital-banking model it scaled across Brazil, Mexico and Colombia into a broader platform combining traditional banking, international payments and stablecoin-based financial services.
Sources: Nu Holdings / U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission / Office of the Comptroller of the Currency / Crypto.news
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