Ray Chalub is the Chief Operating Officer at Inter (NASDAQ: INTR), a pioneer financial super app serving over 40 million customers globally. Based in Miami, Ray oversees Inter’s operations across banking, payments, credit, and investments, driving its evolution from a regional digital bank in Brazil to a multi-market financial ecosystem.

Since joining Inter in 2015, he has led major milestones, including its U.S. expansion, Nasdaq listing, and the launch of cross-border financial solutions for global users. Ray also helped launch Forum, Inter’s creator-driven social platform that fuels the company’s next phase of growth through community engagement and content-led innovation.

CityBiz sat down with Ray to discuss Inter’s expansion, the creator economy, and how Forum is redefining what a financial super app can be.

For those new to the brand, what is Inter and what makes it unique in the financial space?

Inter brings banking, payments, rewards, shopping, and now social networking into one seamless platform. We help over 40 million customers manage their financial lives simply and intuitively.

Most financial institutions focus on transactions, while we focus on experiences. Whether it’s sending money abroad, paying bills, investing, or discovering new content, Inter connects these moments in one place, meeting people across borders, cultures, and lifestyles.

How is Inter redefining what it means to be a global fintech?

We’re building a borderless financial ecosystem that reflects how people actually live, move, and connect. For too long, financial services have been fragmented by geography and outdated systems. Our approach unifies everything, banking, payments, shopping, rewards, and even community, into one accessible experience.

As a Brazilian-born company, we saw how economic volatility was a part of daily life. Yet, we’ve also seen how that environment teaches resilience and forces innovation. We learned to build for inclusion and trust in challenging markets, skills that now fuel our global expansion.

At Inter, we believe fintechs should be more than faster transactions. It should be an enabler of participation, mobility, and opportunity.

Inter’s DNA is rooted in Latin America, yet the strategy is global. How do you approach growth and expansion?

Our roots are in Latin America, but our vision is global. The U.S. is the most competitive market in the world, and success here validates everything we’ve built. Our experience operating in complex markets gives us an edge – we understand how to scale, adapt, and earn consumer trust.

Many large corporations still lack true cross-border payment strategies. That’s where fintechs like Inter step in. We help close gaps with reliable, compliant, and scalable solutions.

Ultimately, our growth strategy is driven by a simple belief: people should have the freedom to manage their financial lives without borders. That means connecting markets, connecting communities, and connecting experiences, all through a single financial ecosystem.

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How is Inter driving innovation in payments?

Payments have long been slow, expensive, and fragmented. Through our platform, we’re making them instant, affordable, and seamless, whether money is moving across the street or across the world.

Our focus is on three principles:

• Localization that scales, adapting to local behaviors and needs.
• Simplicity and speed, making payments as easy as sending a text.
• Trust and innovation only matter if it’s safe, compliant, and accessible.

We’re also adding a human layer through Forum, our owned social networking site, only available through the Inter App, which connects payments with community. And now we’re seeing how being a fintech goes beyond transactions but also includes participation, empowerment, and connection.

Tell us more about Forum, the creator-driven platform inside Inter.

Forum was built on a simple idea: people don’t separate their financial, social, and digital lives, so why should their platforms? Forum combines content, community, and commerce in one place where users can bank, shop, learn, and be inspired.

It’s already surpassed 15 million registered users and is fast becoming one of our strongest organic growth engines. The global creator economy, now worth over $250 billion, proves that people trust creators more than ads. So, instead of spending our ad budget entirely on paid media, we’re redirecting up to $10 million over the next few years to reward creators who bring their communities to Forum.

Through our Loop Points system, creators earn rewards based on engagement. Those points are then redeemable for cash, products, or perks across Inter. It’s a cycle where creators grow, their communities grow, and Inter grows with them.

Why are creators so important to Inter’s U.S. expansion strategy?

Creators connect with people in real time. They shape culture, build trust, and localize stories in ways traditional media can’t. For Inter, especially in diverse and multicultural markets, creators help translate our products, like the Inter Passport Credit Card or cross-border tools, into everyday relevance.

What’s next for Inter as you look toward 2025 and beyond?

We’re focused on building the most useful app in our users’ lives. As we’re considering our next phase of growth, we’re thinking beyond just a bank, but a hub for living, transacting, discovering, and growing.

Expect to see us continue expanding our U.S. offerings, simplifying cross-border financial experiences, and scaling Forum into one of the most vibrant creator ecosystems across the Americas.

About Inter

Inter’s creator-driven strategy represents the next chapter of growth—blending finance, culture, and technology into one powerful ecosystem. Learn more at us.inter.co.

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