A credit-building money app for teens and young adults whose AI work is back-office — machine-learning risk and fraud models, AI-assisted support automation — now owned by MrBeast's Beast Industries and still running on Evolve Bank & Trust.
How is Step using AI?
Step has no customer-facing AI assistant; its disclosed AI work is internal, with 2026 job postings describing machine-learning risk and fraud models and AI-driven support automation. Its core product is a credit-building Step Visa Card, issued by Evolve Bank & Trust, that reports to the credit bureaus. Step says it has over 7 million users. MrBeast's Beast Industries bought Step in February 2026; Senator Warren then questioned the deal, and Business Insider reported Beast was evaluating banking partners other than Evolve.
Category
Neobank
Founded
2018
Headquarters
Palo Alto, United States
Licence and supervision
Not a bank: a financial technology company. Banking services are provided, and the Step Visa Card issued, by Evolve Bank & Trust, Member FDIC (supervised by the Federal Reserve and the Arkansas State Bank Department, under a June 2024 Federal Reserve consent cease-and-desist order); balances above $250,000 are swept to Evolve's program banks, giving eligible Step Black users up to $1,000,000 of pass-through FDIC cover. Step Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser and investment accounts are held by DriveWealth, LLC, a FINRA member. Wholly owned by Beast Industries since February 2026.
Scale
Over 7 million users, per the 9 February 2026 acquisition announcement (company figure)
Flagship platform
No customer-facing AI assistant (machine-learning risk and fraud models)
AI leadership
CJ MacDonald · Alexey Kalinichenko · Jeff Housenbold
- Step's AI disclosures are job postings rather than products: a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to build risk and fraud models that 'protect Step and our customers from fraud and financial loss', a Head of Risk to improve risk prediction models and an AI Customer Support Specialist to design support automations and AI prompts (October 2026).
- The Step Visa Card reports positive payment history to TransUnion, Experian and/or Equifax and lets users build credit history for up to two years before turning 18; Step claims users in their 20s raise their score by an average of 57 points in a year, based on a TransUnion analysis of 594 users aged 21–27 who had a positive increase.
- Step Black launched in November 2023 as a metal Visa Signature card with no credit check, a 100,000-person waitlist and up to 8% cash back; it is now an earned status at no cost offering 1% cash back and 3.00% on savings paid as cash rewards rather than interest.
- Beast Industries, the company founded by Jimmy 'MrBeast' Donaldson, announced on 9 February 2026 that it had acquired Step for an undisclosed price; Step had over 7 million users and about $500 million in total funding, including $300 million of 2022 debt led by TriplePoint Capital and Evolve.
- Step's partner bank, Evolve Bank & Trust, was hit with a Federal Reserve enforcement action in June 2024 over anti-money-laundering, risk-management and consumer-compliance failings in its fintech partnerships; as of October 2026 Step's site still names Evolve as its bank.
- Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Beast Industries in March 2026 about crypto plans, minors' data at Evolve and the company's readiness to run a fintech; Step had offered crypto trading from 2022 and dropped it in 2024, and a spokesperson said 90% of Step's accounts are held by people 18 or older.
- Step raised a $50 million Series B led by Coatue in December 2020 and a $100 million Series C led by General Catalyst in April 2021, when it had more than 1.5 million users six months after its September 2020 launch.
What is No customer-facing AI assistant (machine-learning risk and fraud models)?
Step has not launched or named an AI assistant. Its disclosed AI work is internal and comes from 2026 job postings: a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to build and deploy models for 'all things Risk and Fraud' that 'protect Step and our customers from fraud and financial loss', a Head of Risk to improve risk prediction models, an AI Customer Support Specialist to design support automations and AI prompts, and design and engineering roles working with AI-powered workflows and machine-learning platforms. Step has published no AI performance figures.[12][13][14][15]
What has Step done on AI, and when?
- Oct 16, 2026
- Mar 25, 2026
Beast reported to be evaluating banks other than Evolve[5]
Business Insider reports a person close to Beast Industries said the company is evaluating alternative banking partners to Evolve, and a spokesperson said 90% of Step's accounts are held by people 18 or older.
- Mar 23, 2026
Senator Warren questions the acquisition[4]
Warren's letter to Donaldson and Housenbold asks about crypto and NFT plans, changes to Step and protection of minors' data at Evolve; Beast says it is examining all existing offerings and marketing for compliance.
- Feb 9, 2026
- Jun 14, 2024
Federal Reserve enforcement action against Evolve[6]
The Fed, with the Arkansas State Bank Department, issues a consent cease-and-desist order against Evolve Bank & Trust for unsafe and unsound practices in managing fintech partnerships and deficient anti-money-laundering and consumer-compliance controls.
- Nov 9, 2023
Step Black card launches[10]
Step Black Visa Signature, a 17g metal card requiring no credit check, opens to the public after a waitlist of over 100,000, offering up to 8% cash back, credit building and 5% on savings balances up to $1 million.
- Oct 11, 2022
$300 million debt round and crypto trading[7]
Step borrows $300 million in debt led by TriplePoint Capital and Evolve Bank & Trust, bringing total funding to $500 million, and launches crypto investing to nearly 4 million users; it employs more than 100 people.
- Apr 27, 2021
$100 million Series C led by General Catalyst[8]
Step raises $100 million with Stephen Curry announced as an investor, after signing up more than 1.5 million accounts in six months; total funding exceeds $175 million and the team is 65 people.
- Dec 2, 2020
$50 million Series B led by Coatue[9]
Step raises $50 million after reaching more than 500,000 users two months after launch, adding Charli D'Amelio, Justin Timberlake and The Chainsmokers as investors; total funding passes $75 million.
- Sep 30, 2020
Where does Step use AI today?
| System | What it does | Status | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine-learning risk and fraud models[12][13] | Step's Senior Machine Learning Engineer posting says its models 'protect Step and our customers from fraud and financial loss' and the role will build and deploy more; the Head of Risk owns fraud-loss outcomes and continuous improvement of risk prediction models. Step publishes no model metrics. | In production | Fraud detection |
| AI customer-support automation[14] | An AI Customer Support Specialist is to analyse support workflows, design automations, and experiment with and optimise AI prompts for real-world support use cases against an automation roadmap. | Announced | Customer-facing chatbots |
| Real-time risk and fraud systems on a machine-learning platform[15] | Step's Senior Engineering Manager role spans its mobile, web, backend and machine-learning platforms and asks for experience with real-time risk and fraud systems. | In production | Model risk management |
| AI-powered design and engineering workflows[16] | Step's Lead Design Engineer works across Figma, code and AI-powered workflows to keep its design system consistent between design and production. | In production | AI-generated code & coding agents |
| AI test-prep partner in the Step Marketplace[17] | Step's in-app Marketplace lists Path, which says it helps users raise their scores 'with AI' for test prep and career readiness; the AI is the partner's, not Step's. | In production | Third-party & vendor AI |
Use-case links open the tracker's rules-by-use-case matrix: which documents govern each system type.
What has Step disclosed in numbers?
| Metric | Value | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Users (company figure) | over 7 million[1] | Feb 9, 2026 |
| Total funding raised | $500 million, including $300 million of debt[7] | Oct 11, 2022 |
| Series C | $100 million; more than $175 million raised to date; 1.5 million+ accounts[8] | Apr 27, 2021 |
| Average credit-score increase claimed for users in their 20s | 57 points in one year (TransUnion analysis of 594 users aged 21–27 with a positive increase)[11] | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Share of accounts held by adults | 90% held by people 18 or older (Beast Industries spokesperson)[5] | Mar 25, 2026 |
| Step Black launch waitlist | over 100,000; up to 8% cash back at launch[10] | Nov 9, 2023 |
| Maximum FDIC pass-through cover | up to $1,000,000 for eligible Step Black users[11] | Oct 16, 2026 |
“Our goal has always been to improve the financial future of the next generation”[1]
CJ MacDonald · CEO and Founder, Step · Feb 9, 2026
“This acquisition positions us to meet our audiences where they are, with practical, technology-driven solutions that can transform their financial futures for the better.”[1]
Jeff Housenbold · CEO, Beast Industries · Feb 9, 2026
“Given that Step’s products are aimed at children and young adults, Evolve likely has extensive amounts of sensitive information about minors that must be protected from further attacks”[4]
Elizabeth Warren · Ranking Member, Senate Banking Committee (letter quoted by Banking Dive) · Mar 23, 2026
“Now that we’ve completed the transaction and have ownership control, we’re examining all existing offerings and marketing approaches to ensure that Step’s future is developed thoughtfully and deliberately, meets our very high quality standards, and is in compliance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements”[4]
Beast Industries spokesperson · Beast Industries · Mar 24, 2026
Who runs AI at Step?
Which regulators govern Step's AI?
| Authority | Why it matters here | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve | The Fed's June 2024 consent cease-and-desist order requires Step's partner bank, Evolve Bank & Trust, to strengthen oversight and monitoring of its fintech partnerships, including compliance and fraud risks, which reaches Step's programme and the risk models it runs on Evolve accounts. | SR 23-4 |
| Arkansas State Bank Department | Evolve's state supervisor took the June 2024 enforcement action jointly with the Federal Reserve; it supervises the bank that holds Step's deposits and issues the Step Visa Card. | |
| CFPB | Step offers deposit access, the credit-building Step Visa Card and Step EarlyPay loans to consumers as a nonbank, placing it in the CFPB's remit; its planned AI support automation would fall under the CFPB's chatbot guidance. | CFPB Chatbots in Consumer Finance (issue spotlight, 2023) CFPB Circular 2022-03 |
| SEC | Step Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that makes non-discretionary stock and ETF recommendations to Step users; investment accounts are held by DriveWealth, LLC, a FINRA member. | Division of Examinations FY2026 Priorities |
| FDIC | Step balances rely on pass-through FDIC insurance at Evolve and its program banks, up to $1,000,000 for eligible Step Black users, so Evolve's custodial recordkeeping matters directly to Step users; Evolve was entangled in the 2024 collapse of middleware fintech Synapse, which resulted in the loss of close to $100 million in consumer deposits. | FDIC FIL-29-2023 |
Linked authorities have a page in the Regulation tracker; the others are named for completeness and not yet tracked.
What does the public record suggest about Step's AI strategy?
Analysis by BankingNewsAI from the sources cited on this page. Observations, not advice.
01
AI is a back-office story, disclosed through hiring
Unlike neobanks that lead with an assistant, Step's public AI record consists of job postings for risk and fraud models and support automation. There is no named product, no model metric and no AI disclosure in its press releases.
02
The bank partner, not the model, is the live risk
Evolve has been under a Federal Reserve consent order since June 2024, Senator Warren cited it in March 2026, and Beast Industries was reported to be weighing alternatives. Step's site still named Evolve as its bank in October 2026.
03
The credit-score claim is drawn from improvers only
Step's 57-point average comes from a TransUnion analysis of 594 users aged 21–27 'with a positive increase' in their score, so users whose scores fell are excluded from the figure.
04
Crypto came and went, and may come back under new ownership
Step added crypto trading in 2022 and dropped it in 2024; Beast Industries has since signalled interest in crypto and decentralized finance, which was the first question in Warren's letter.
05
A youth audience raises the bar for any future AI feature
Step's users start as teens, and a spokesperson says 90% of accounts are now held by adults. Any customer-facing AI from Step would reach users whom Warren's letter singles out as minors needing extra protection.
Does Step use AI?
Step has not launched a customer-facing AI assistant. Its disclosed AI work is internal: October 2026 job postings describe machine-learning models for risk and fraud that 'protect Step and our customers from fraud and financial loss', a Head of Risk who improves risk prediction models, and an AI Customer Support Specialist who will design support automations and AI prompts. Step has published no AI performance figures for its over 7 million users.
Is Step a bank?
No. Step is a financial technology company. Its banking services are provided by Evolve Bank & Trust, Member FDIC, which also issues the Step Visa Card; balances above $250,000 are swept to Evolve's program banks for up to $1,000,000 of pass-through FDIC cover for eligible Step Black users. Investment advice comes from Step Advisers LLC and investment accounts are held by DriveWealth, LLC.
Did MrBeast buy Step?
Yes. Beast Industries, founded by Jimmy 'MrBeast' Donaldson, announced on 9 February 2026 that it had acquired Step for an undisclosed amount. Step said it had over 7 million users and had raised about $500 million. CJ MacDonald was quoted in the announcement as Step's CEO and founder. In March 2026 Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned the deal, asking about crypto plans and minors' data held at Evolve.
Is Step still with Evolve Bank & Trust?
As of October 2026, yes: Step's website says banking services are provided by Evolve Bank & Trust. Evolve has been under a Federal Reserve consent cease-and-desist order since June 2024 over weak oversight of fintech partnerships and anti-money-laundering controls. In March 2026 Business Insider reported that Beast Industries was evaluating alternative banking partners; no switch has been announced.
How does the Step card build credit?
The Step Visa Card reports positive payment history on the card to TransUnion, Experian and/or Equifax while the account stays in good standing, and Step says users can build credit history for up to two years before turning 18. Step claims users in their 20s raise their scores by an average of 57 points in a year, based on a TransUnion analysis of 594 users who had a positive increase.
What is Step Black?
Step Black launched in November 2023 as a 17g metal Visa Signature card with no credit check, after a waitlist of more than 100,000, offering up to 8% cash back. Today Step describes it as an earned status available at no cost, giving 1% cash back, 3.00% on savings paid as cash rewards rather than interest, and FDIC pass-through cover of up to $1,000,000.
Who regulates Step?
Step itself is a nonbank under the CFPB's consumer-finance remit, and its adviser arm, Step Advisers LLC, is SEC-registered. Its partner bank, Evolve Bank & Trust, is supervised by the Federal Reserve and the Arkansas State Bank Department, which issued a joint enforcement action in June 2024. Deposits carry FDIC pass-through insurance through Evolve and its program banks.
- Beast Industries Acquires Step, Expanding its Platform to Include Financial Services
- YouTube star MrBeast buys youth-focused financial services app Step
- MrBeast's company buys Gen Z-focused fintech app Step
- Warren scrutinizes MrBeast's plans for fintech Step
- MrBeast's Step banking app draws political heat, shows risks
- Federal Reserve Board issues an enforcement action against Evolve Bancorp, Inc. and Evolve Bank & Trust
- Charli D'Amelio-endorsed fintech Step borrows $300M to bring crypto to teens
- Teen banking service Step raises $100M Series C, announces Steph Curry's investment
- Teen banking service Step raises $50M, adds TikTok star Charli D'Amelio to investor list
- Step Revolutionizes Rewards Card Industry With The Launch Of Step Black
- Step – The All-In-One Money App (homepage and disclosures, retrieved 2026-10-16)
- Senior Machine Learning Engineer (job posting, retrieved 2026-10-16)
- Head of Risk (job posting, retrieved 2026-10-16)
- AI Customer Support Specialist (job posting, retrieved 2026-10-16)
- Senior Engineering Manager (job posting, retrieved 2026-10-16)
- Lead Design Engineer (job posting, retrieved 2026-10-16)
- Step Marketplace (retrieved 2026-10-16)
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