UK fintech company Revolut has openly acknowledged the risk of reputational damage stemming from its support of energy-intensive industries, including cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, as the company announced a 57% jump in annual profits. The warning, contained in its 2025 annual report, reflects increasing corporate sensitivity to public concerns about the environmental costs of digital finance. The admission is notable for a company that offers crypto trading as one of its flagship services.
Revolut launched in 2015 under the leadership of founder and chief executive Nik Storonsky and has grown rapidly to become one of Europe’s most valuable private technology companies. After a prolonged five-year process, the company finally secured full UK banking authorisation and is now rolling out current accounts to British customers. With operations across 40 markets and banking licences in more than 30 of them, Revolut is positioning itself as a serious challenger to traditional high-street banks.
The financial results for 2025 were impressive by any standard. Pre-tax profit reached £1.7 billion, up 57% from the previous year, while revenues hit £4.5 billion — a 46% increase. The company’s global customer count grew to 68.3 million following the addition of 16 million new users, and business accounts expanded by a third to 767,000. Revolut has set its sights on 100 million users worldwide by mid-next year.
The energy concerns flagged by Revolut are directly tied to the nature of its product offerings. Bitcoin mining is notoriously electricity-intensive, and the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure has further strained power grids globally. Energy prices have risen considerably in recent weeks due to geopolitical tensions, making the issue even more pressing for companies operating at the intersection of finance and technology.
Despite these challenges, Revolut remains bullish about its growth trajectory. The company plans to extend its banking services to include home loans and other lending products, following a mortgage refinancing pilot in Lithuania. A US banking licence application has been submitted, suggesting the company is preparing for a major expansion into the North American market. Storonsky said the firm has “only just begun to show what is possible.”