On December 3, 2025, the Supervisory Council of the Bank of Albania reviewed and granted preliminary approval for the licensing of a new bank in Albania. This marks the country’s first fully digital bank to enter the domestic banking system. It is an investment that is both compelling and necessary, expected to attend in a new era for banking in Albania.

In an exclusive interview on Top Story, Fatbardha Rino, Chief Executive Officer of Jet Bank, explained how the project came to Albania, how the licensing process unfolded, who makes up the professional team with more than 20 years of experience in the banking market, and which international partners are involved in operating and building Jet Bank’s secure technological architecture.

Rino presented Jet Bank as a different operating model: a native digital bank built from the ground up, aiming to change how individuals and businesses manage their finances. Unlike traditional banks, a digital bank is constructed on proven technological architecture, international partnerships, and high security standards.

Backbase, Facilization, Oracle Flexcube, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, Mastercard, Jumio, among others, are part of the ecosystem of globally recognized and certified partners. These platforms are standard practice in the financial markets of the European Union and the United Kingdom.

“All of these are very important names, international brands that are proven and tested over time and that have built the technological core not only for Jet Bank, but for the world at large. Establishing a new digital bank must rest on very solid foundations, on actors who have done it, tested it, and can support you across the entire technology stack. Trust in a digital bank is based on technology. There is a significant difference in how a digital bank enters the market compared to a traditional bank. This is not something we invented; it has existed in Europe for over a decade. Groups of investors come together and decide on markets where they will develop a digital bank. Today, we have founders and investors from all over the world, and we remain open to discussions with new investors interested in such ventures,” said Jet Bank CEO Fatbardha Rino.

During the interview, Rino also detailed Jet Bank’s licensing process, praising the procedures of Albanian institutions. Banks are pillars of a country’s economic stability and therefore requires a high level of professional commitment.

“All banks in Albania, whether traditional or digital, go through a very rigorous process. I can say it is even more complex and stringent in our case, particularly to fully assess the investors. By rigorous, I mean everything from verifying whether investors have sufficient capital, the source of that capital, their financial experience, to their reputation and previous investments. This protocol applies not only to investors but also to the bank’s executive team,” she explained.

Asked whether the bank’s use would be simple, Rino summarized Jet Bank’s philosophy with a core principle:

“The more complex the technology behind the scenes, the simpler the user experience for the people, whether individuals or businesses. We want to build a bank, not just a platform or an app, that is very simple, enabling people of all generations to manage their finances and money in the easiest possible way.”

Rino also highlighted the Albanian team that makes this high-standard, visionary project possible, emphasizing their 20 years of experience in the market. She underscored that although Jet Bank is a 100% digital bank, its most important pillar remains the people who ensure the efficiency of this structure.

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