Freedom Holding Corp. has applied for a banking license in France. As part of its European expansion strategy, the company plans to invest €500 million to launch a digital bank and develop local infrastructure. Freedom Holding CEO Timur Turlov confirmed the plans in an interview with Reuters.
«We have submitted documents to the French banking regulator to obtain a banking license in France. We have also announced €500 million in investments that we are prepared to make over the next five years to develop a digital bank and build digital infrastructure,» Turlov said.
He also shared additional details about the application to the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR) on Facebook.
«The ACPR is the French prudential regulator and works closely with the European Central Bank. A banking license in France also serves as a European passport, providing access to the entire EU market. That is exactly what we need,» Turlov wrote.
Freedom has been discussing plans to expand its financial presence in the EU for some time. In April 2026, Freedom Finance Europe Executive Director Evgeniy Tyapkin said the company was actively exploring the acquisition of a bank in France.
«We want to move beyond the traditional brokerage model. We see the next stage of growth in Europe not only in expanding brokerage services, but also in building a broader client ecosystem around them. In this context, we are focusing on several areas, with banking services as a key priority,» he said.
Expansion in Turkey and Tajikistan
Strengthening its banking business is part of the holding company’s broader strategy to build an international digital ecosystem.
In March 2026, Freedom announced the acquisition of a 99.32% stake in Turkish Bank A.Ş. from investment firm Özyol Holding and a subsidiary of the National Bank of Kuwait. Over the next several years, the company plans to invest approximately $300 million to expand its banking and brokerage operations in Turkey.
At the same time, the corporation continues to strengthen its presence across Central Asia. In October 2024, Freedom entered the Tajik financial market after obtaining a license from the country’s regulator.
According to Freedom’s recently published financial results for fiscal year 2026, the company’s revenue has increased more than 26-fold since its Nasdaq listing, reaching $2.19 billion. Net income also doubled year-on-year, rising from $76.2 million to $153.3 million.
The Freedom Holding Corp. CEO said the group delivered strong financial results despite making significant investments in expanding its ecosystem.
Freedom Holding Corp. is an international financial services holding company founded by Timur Turlov. The company is incorporated in the U.S. and listed on Nasdaq under the FRHC ticker. The group operates in more than 20 countries and offers an ecosystem of financial and digital services, including brokerage, banking, insurance, payment solutions and consumer-focused online products. Kazakhstan remains the company’s largest and most important market.
