Revolut Losses Deepen in 2020 despite 57% Revenue Jump

UK fintech Revolut reported a 57 percent jump in its 2020 revenue, but the company’s losses for the year deepened despite the year-end cryptocurrency boom. The operating loss for the startup came in at £200.6 million.

The financials released by the UK digital bank shows that it ended 2020 with total revenue of £261 million, which is up from the previous year’s £166 million. Additionally, the startup made £39 million in fair value gains from crypto assets, meaning it holds some Cryptocurrencies Cryptocurrencies By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the netw By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the netw Read this Term in its balance sheets.

Though the company generated £123 million gross profit, it reported operating losses at the end of the year. The company spent £266 million alone as its administrative costs. However, losses narrowed significantly in the final quarter. With a staff of 2,200 people, the company reported £55 million in operating losses in Q1, which came down to only £5 million in the final quarter.

Moreover, the gross margin of the startup improved to 61 percent in Q4 from only 29 percent in Q1.

“As the extraordinary circumstances of 2020 drove the trend towards digital financial management, we continued to innovate for customers to make their financial lives easier and accelerate daily use,” said Nikolay Storonsky, Founder and CEO of Revolut.

Expansions

The UK startup expanded aggressively in 2020. It entered the United States, Japan and Australia, and it launched banking services in Lithuania. But, the United Kingdom still remained as its dominant market, generating 88.4 percent of its revenue, while only 10.2 percent came from the European Economic Area.

In addition, Storonsky said that COVID-19 implications have forced the startup to focus on profitable areas like cryptocurrency and stock trading. But, Revolut’s cards and interchange business generated the highest revenue of £95 million, followed by £80 million from Forex Forex Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Read this Term.

Furthermore, the startup revealed that it had 14.5 million personal customers and 500,000 business customers by the end of 2020. Further, Revolut reported that its revenue and gross profit for Q1 of 2021 increased by 130 percent and 300 percent, respectively, year-over-year.

“Revolut entered its next phase of growth in 2020 as we broadened our global footprint, strengthened our capital base, enhanced governance, and bolstered executive management,” said Revolut Chairman, Martin Gilbert.