Okay so—imagine you’re a tech bro with Stripe stock options and a dream. Now imagine you wake up one morning and go, “You know what would be super chill? Owning a bank.”
Well, welcome to the Darragh Buckley Cinematic Universe™.
This isn’t some finance cosplay—Darragh was literally Stripe’s FIRST employee, and now he’s out here collecting banks like Pokémon cards. And baby, he just caught a new one: Twin City Bank, a cute little institution in Longview, Washington, population: mostly trees and people who still use paper checks.
“I Wanna Buy a Bank” – Darragh, Probably
Word on the fintech street (which smells like cold brew and VC money) is that Buckley’s been trying to “buy a bank” for years. And guess what? Man just did it—kinda.
He bought a thicc enough chunk of Twin City Bank to make the Federal Reserve get up from its nap and go, “Hey, wait a second…” Because when you snag more than 10% of a bank, Uncle Fed needs to know. And if the Fed’s reading your paperwork, congrats—you’ve officially entered main character status in fintech.
Now, is Buckley the only owner? Nope. But does he now have the kind of power that makes Silicon Valley whisper nervously into their Oura Rings? Absolutely.
### Plot Twist: Someone Tried to Tank the Deal with Sneaky PR
Let’s talk DRAMA. Some mystery fintech hater was so pressed about this whole move that they literally hired a PR firm to leak bad press about Buckley and the deal. Yes. A smear campaign. Over a community bank in Washington. The level of petty? Delicious. Netflix, call us.
But Buckley, unfazed like a man who codes in Rust for fun, brushed it off and was like, “Y’all. I’m just vibing. This is my third bank investment here. I like small banks. Chill.”
Not a Trojan Horse (Allegedly)
Now, everyone’s assuming he’s gonna turn Twin City into the launchpad for his company Increase (aka a fintech API powerhouse that lets companies move money like it’s on rails). Think wires, ACH, real-time payments—all the boring backend stuff that gets tech bros hot under the Patagonia vest.
But Buckley says: NOPE. Not doing that. Twin City Bank is staying small-town wholesome. Think more “bank lollipops and farmers getting loans” and less “crypto credit cards and AI mortgage bots.”
He even said that trying to turn Twin City into a fintech partner bank would be a disaster. Why? Because sponsor banking is risky AF, and most banks aren’t built for it. Cue: Evolve Bank, which got hacked AND hit with a cease-and-desist because it was playing fintech hardball without the proper helmet.
But Like… Why Tho?
So if Increase isn’t going to marry Twin City Bank and have little API babies… what’s the point?
Because Darragh loves a good underdog. He believes community banks have a secret weapon: vibes. Okay, more like strong relationships and hyperlocal trust, but you get the idea. He thinks fintech bros underestimate these small-town legends. And he wants to see them win without needing to sell their soul to Silicon Valley.
Final Boss Level: He Got the Green Light
Despite the chaos, PR backstabs, and fintech side-eyes, Buckley got the FDIC’s non-objection for control (aka the government’s way of saying “fine, whatever”), and the deal is DONE.
So now, Twin City Bank has a new power player behind the scenes, and the whole fintech world is watching like it’s the series finale of Succession: BaaS Edition.
And to the fintech rival who tried to block him with scandal leaks and PR shenanigans?
It’s too late, sweetie. He already bought the bank. 💅
💸 #BankingOnChaos
🏦 #FintechFeverDream
🐍 #SiliconSnakesInTheGrass
🚨Tech Bro Buys a Bank (Kinda) and Starts a Quiet Fintech Revolution from a Tiny Town Near Portland 🚨
