Some banks have stories that span centuries. Raphaels Bank was founded in London in 1787 — predating the formation of the modern Bank of England as a private institution and outlasting the entire industrial revolution as an independent business — making it one of the oldest banks in the United Kingdom. Its evolution into a fintech-relevant institution came through its modern positioning as a banking partner for fintech companies and prepaid card issuers, providing the underlying banking licence and infrastructure that allowed third-party programmes to issue cards and hold electronic money. Raphaels acted as the issuing bank for many of the early UK fintech card products — the regulatory backbone that made innovation in consumer payment products possible without each fintech needing its own banking licence. The bank's banking licence and prepaid card programme business were acquired by JCB International in 2019, marking the end of Raphaels' independent existence after over 230 years of continuous operation. Its story is a reminder that banking infrastructure is built over generations rather than years, and that the most enduring institutions in finance often play roles invisible to consumers but essential to the operations of the products they actually use.