Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson, a YouTube superstar with 466 million subscribers, has officially announced the acquisition of Step, a Gen Z mobile banking app, by his entertainment company, Beast Industries. This is Beast Industries' most significant financial expansion to date, marking a shift in the creator economy from content monetization to financial infrastructure, although the acquisition price was not disclosed.
MrBeast posted on X on Monday that the goal of this acquisition is to improve financial literacy among young people:
Equip young people with financial management tools and knowledge from a young age, and teach them how to manage their personal finances.
Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold added:
Financial health is the cornerstone of overall quality of life, but too many people lack the tools and knowledge needed to build financial security.
What is Step? A Generation Z bank with 6.5 million users.
Founded in 2018, Step is a mobile banking app designed for teenagers and young adults, helping Generation Z manage their money, build credit history, earn rewards, and develop financial literacy.
Since its launch, the platform has accumulated approximately 6.5 million users and raised about $500 million from investors, including NBA star Stephen Curry, singer Justin Timberlake, actor Will Smith, and TikTok influencer Charli D'Amelio.
Step's consumer accounts are insured by FDIC through Evolve Bank & Trust, ensuring the safety of users' funds.
The underlying cryptocurrency strategy: Trademark applications reveal clues
It is worth noting that Beast Industries' ambitions in the financial sector extend beyond traditional banking services.
In January of this year, BitMine Immersion Technologies invested $200 million in Beast Industries. BitMine Chairman Tom Lee positioned this investment as a "long-term bet on the creator economy" and stated that MrBeast is "the top content creator of our generation, with unparalleled reach and engagement among Gen Z, Alpha, and Millennials."
Earlier, in October 2025, Beast Industries filed a trademark application for "MrBeast Financial", which explicitly mentioned "cryptocurrency exchange services", "cryptocurrency payment processing" and "cryptocurrency services through decentralized exchanges".
While the direct link between the trademark application and the Step acquisition remains unclear, the combination suggests that Beast Industries is clearly building a complete financial ecosystem encompassing both traditional finance and cryptocurrencies.
Creator Economy x Fintech: A New Paradigm Takes Shape
MrBeast's acquisition of Step is significant beyond typical corporate mergers and acquisitions. Leveraging its influence of 466 million subscribers, combined with a financial platform for 6.5 million users, $200 million in crypto industry funding, and a portfolio of cryptocurrency trademarks, Beast Industries is envisioning a blueprint for a deep integration of the creator economy and fintech.
For Generation Z, MrBeast is more than just a YouTuber—he's gradually becoming a financial brand. And the next step for this brand could very well be cryptocurrency.
