1228 ET - Chime Financial pursuing a bank charter was always an inevitability given its ambitions to serve as the number one U.S. provider of primary bank accounts, CEO Chris Britt tells CNBC following the company's announcement of a $590 million acquisition of Stride Bank. "It felt like the time was right, given the changes in technology, the regulatory window that's open, and most importantly, the confidence that we have in this incredible team at Stride," Britt says. The deal will reduce Chime's reliance on third parties and increase its velocity of innovation, he adds. Chime shares gain 4.9%.