Blue Foundry Bancorp in Rutherford, N.J., approached Fulton Financial in Lancaster, Pa., about a merger after more than 20 other banks and credit unions passed on a deal. The $32 billion-asset Fulton agreed last month to buy the $2.2 billion-asset Blue Foundry for $243 million in a deal expected to close in the second quarter. The deal priced Blue Foundry at just 77% of its tangible book value. A regulatory

The Independent Community Bankers of America has selected six startups to join its next ThinkTECH Accelator program. The new participants are: Crux Analytics: Specializes in agentic workflows to back small business acquisition, engagement, and retention Flatirons AI: Generative AI to streamline bank operations and strengthen compliance InvestiFi: Digital investment services directly from checking accounts, bypassing third‑party rails Onsetto: White‑label AI platform simplifying commercial account transitions for payments, receivables, and payroll

Former Acting Comptroller Michael Hsu has become a venture partner of Core Innovation Capital. The Los Angeles VC firm said in a press release that Hsu will partner with founders to anticipate regulatory hurdles, engage constructively with policymakers, and "design strategies that align innovation with safety, soundness, and fairness." “After years focused on safeguarding the financial system, I’m thrilled to now help build the innovations shaping its future,” Hsu said

Pioneer Bancorp in Albany, N.Y., has formed a broker-dealer subsidiary. The $2 billion-asset company said in a press release that Pioneer Capital Markets will initially focus on proprietary trading of investment-grade municipal bonds. “Pioneer Capital Markets enhances our core offerings by leveraging proprietary municipal bond trading and interest income to deliver diversified, market-driven revenue streams,” Thomas Amell, the company's president and CEO, said in the release. Peter Brandel is the

Eagle Rock Bank in Rochester, Minn., will soon have streamlined leadership. The $275 million-asset bank said in a press release that Brad Becker will retire as president and co-CEO at the end of this year. He will remain on the board. Larry Schminski, a former Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. examiner and the bank's co-CEO, will become the sole CEO. Kelly Nelson, the bank's chief operating officer and director of human

Enova in Chicago has agreed to buy Grasshopper Bank in New York. The fintech said in a press release that it plans to pay $369 million in cash and stock for the $1.4 billion-asset Grasshopper. The deal, which is expected to close in the second half of next year, priced Grasshopper at 254% of its tangible book value. Through its direct and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) product offerings, Grasshopper holds about $3

Solutions Plus Bank has opened in Albertville, Ala. The bank debuted on Dec. 4, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Organizers had to raise $27 million after they secured conditional FDIC approval in November 2024. The group applied with the FDIC  the previous August.

Organizers of the proposed Georgia Skyline Bank in Roswell have received conditional approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The group, which submitted its application in June, needs to raise at least $25 million in initial capital prior to opening. Ryan Floyd would be the proposed bank’s president and CEO. He was a senior vice president at The Piedmont Bank. Floyd said in a past interview that his group aims to