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Keeta Network has taken a major step toward becoming a fully regulated financial platform with plans to acquire a regulated bank.
Author: Sahil Thakur
Published On: Wed, 21 Jan 2026 04:29:56 GMT
21st January 2026 – Keeta Network has taken a major step toward becoming a fully regulated financial platform with the team announcing plans to acquire a regulated bank, pending regulatory approval. This move puts Keeta ahead of many crypto firms that have tried and failed to secure direct access to banking infrastructure.
High Signal Summary For A Quick Glance
Rather than relying on third-party partners, Keeta wants direct control over fiat rails. As a result, the network aims to offer instant payments, on-chain credit, stablecoin services, and real-world asset issuance under a regulated structure. The deal is expected to close within three to six months, depending on approvals.
To fund the acquisition, Keeta plans to allocate up to 35 million KTA tokens from its strategic reserves, valued at roughly $9 million. Importantly, the team says these tokens will not be sold on the open market. Instead, they will support bank capitalization and reserves.
This decision reflects a clear shift in strategy. Instead of building around traditional finance, Keeta is integrating directly into it. CEO Ty Schenk framed the acquisition as a deliberate response to past industry failures. Circle withdrew its banking application. Coinbase could not secure a charter. Kraken remains limited to narrow licenses. Keeta, by contrast, is attempting to bring full banking capabilities on-chain.
If successful, the acquisition would allow Keeta to operate closer to a bank holding company structure. That would unlock regulated fiat access, tighter compliance, and deeper integration with legacy payment systems.
Keeta Network launched in 2023 as a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain built for payments, tokenization, and interoperability. The network claims throughput above 10 million transactions per second with settlement times around 400 milliseconds. Because of this, Keeta positions itself as infrastructure designed for institutional scale.
The protocol combines cross-chain settlement with built-in compliance tools like KYC and AML. It also offers APIs for banks, fintech firms, and enterprises, alongside a consumer-facing app for instant transfers.
KTA, the network’s native token, powers fees, governance, and incentives. As of January 21, 2026, the token carries a market cap between $132 million and $150 million.
Alongside the bank acquisition, Keeta has quietly built deep institutional connections. Public filings point to a Bank of America pilot for a money transfer service. Visa has also listed Keeta on its Global Registry of Service Providers and completed a pilot.
In addition, former executives from major banks have joined the project. Reported connections include Stripe, RBC, NAB, City National Bank, and Charles Schwab. Keeta also claims to operate internal ledgers for banks across more than 50 regions.
These relationships support Keeta’s claim that it is building for regulated finance, not just crypto-native users.
Keeta increasingly frames itself as a replacement for legacy systems like SWIFT. The pitch centers on atomic settlement, lower costs, and global interoperability. With a regulated bank in the mix, that vision becomes more concrete.
The acquisition would allow Keeta to combine blockchain settlement with licensed banking operations. This could support cross-border payments, tokenized assets, and compliant stablecoin flows without relying on slow correspondent banking networks.
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The announcement sparked strong interest across crypto markets. KTA trended on X and rose roughly 15 percent over the past week. Many observers point to Keeta’s relatively low valuation compared to its ambitions, especially given backing from figures like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
Looking ahead, Keeta’s roadmap includes more fiat anchors, a decentralized exchange, cross-chain wallets, and consumer products like Keeta Pay and a Keeta card. However, the bank acquisition remains the critical variable.
If regulators approve the deal, Keeta could become one of the first crypto networks to operate with full banking capabilities. If delays or rejections follow, the timeline may stretch. Either way, the next few months will determine whether Keeta’s strategy reshapes how crypto and traditional finance intersect.
Real voices. Real reactions.
@KeetaNetwork So the team wanted to de-bank but instead is purchasing a bank?
@KeetaNetwork Boom 💥
@KeetaNetwork Bullish on $KTA as always, but wasn't Ty's stated goal to eventually de-bank? Trying to understand how this moves us forward.
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