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Banking-as-a-service platform (now in bankruptcy proceedings)
Synapse was a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform that provided fintech companies with APIs to access banking infrastructure including deposit accounts, payment rails, and card issuing. Founded in 2014, Synapse grew rapidly during the BaaS boom, serving over 100 fintech companies and claiming to power accounts for tens of millions of end users. The platform offered ACH transfers, wire payments, debit card issuance, and deposit account capabilities through bank partnerships with Evolve Bank & Trust, American Bank, AMG National Trust, and Lineage Bank. Synapse's developer-friendly API and relatively accessible pricing made it popular with early-stage fintechs. However, in April 2024, Synapse filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 7, leaving tens of thousands of end users unable to access their funds due to a significant shortfall in reconciled balances between Synapse and its banking partners. This event became one of the most significant failures in fintech history, prompting regulatory scrutiny of the BaaS model and highlighting the risks of middleware between fintechs and FDIC-insured banks. The FDIC and banking regulators subsequently increased oversight of BaaS arrangements. Synapse's collapse has accelerated the direct bank partnership model and raised fundamental questions about custodial responsibility in multi-party BaaS relationships. New customers should not engage with Synapse and should evaluate its alternatives carefully.