Revolut has overtaken 34 traditional Polish brokerage firms to claim the second-largest market position, though the fintech challenger still lags behind industry leader XTB in the race for retail trading customers.Data from Poland's Central Securities Depository (KDPW) shows XTB held nearly 615,000 Polish market accounts at the end of August, compared to Revolut's newly disclosed 590,000 investment accounts. The 25,000-account gap represents a competitive battlefield where XTB's 62% year-to-date growth rate outpaces Revolut's 45% expansion.Revolut Reveals Investment Platform Scale for First TimeThis week marked the first time Revolut has publicly disclosed the size of its Polish investment business, revealing 590,000 users have registered trading accounts for stocks, ETFs and bonds within its app. The figure provides the clearest picture yet of how the fintech giant's brokerage operation stacks up against established competitors.The disclosure confirms Revolut has surpassed all traditional Polish brokerages except XTB, including mBank's brokerage arm with 490,682 accounts, Bank Pekao's division with 205,838 accounts, and ING Bank's trading platform with 200,373 accounts. The remaining 31 brokerages in KDPW data hold significantly smaller market shares.*Revolut data based on company disclosure; annual change calculated from reported 45% growthRevolut is not included in the KDPW statistics because it operates under Lithuanian financial regulation, not Polish. Moreover, Revolut's investment accounts are part of its broader European banking operation, while firms in KDPW stats are primarily focused on brokerage services under Polish jurisdiction.Revolut's investment platform serves as just one component of its broader Polish operation, which counts 4.5 million total users across all services. This massive customer base creates substantial potential for converting banking clients into active traders without requiring new customer acquisition. In this comparison, XTB clearly falls behind Revolut, which has a total of 1.7 million users worldwide. However, it is worth remembering that Revolut is primarily a neobank, while XTB is an investment service. And although XTB aspires to become an all-in-one super financial app like Revolut, it is still far from competing with the UK's fintech nearly 50 million global user base.XTB Maintains Commanding Lead Despite CompetitionWhile Revolut has successfully captured the number two position, XTB's dominance remains clear with its 25,000-account advantage and superior growth momentum. The Polish-founded platform added 334,963 accounts year-over-year compared to traditional competitors like mBank's 43,141 annual increase.XTB's success has been driven by aggressive international expansion and marketing campaigns targeting retail investors across Europe. The company's focus on contract-for-difference trading and user-friendly platforms has attracted both novice and experienced traders.Related: Revolut Hits $75 Billion Valuation as Staff Cash Out BigYoung Investors Drive Market GrowthRevolut's also revealed shifting investment preferences among Polish millennials and Gen Z users, with 59% of the platform's equity investors falling into the 18-34 age bracket. These younger clients favor diversified portfolios, allocating 28% of holdings to exchange-traded funds compared to older demographic groups.Among 18-24 year olds surveyed, 27% identified stocks as their primary wealth-building vehicle, slightly ahead of real estate at 25%. This represents a generational shift from older investors aged 34-54, where 39% prioritize property investments."We're seeing a clear change in how young people approach wealth building," said Rolandas Juteika, Head of Wealth & Trading for Europe at Revolut. "They're not waiting to buy a home before starting to invest. They begin much earlier with smaller amounts using tools that were once exclusive to professional investors."Social Media Influences Trading DecisionsThe survey found that social media serves as the primary investment information source for 21% of Polish Gen Z investors, creating both opportunities and risks in the retail trading space.Among all respondents, 27% reported losing money following online financial advice, with younger investors aged 18-24 experiencing a higher 29% loss rate. While most losses remained below 4,300 zloty, 6% of young traders reported losses exceeding 21,500 zloty.Polish investors expressed primary concerns about online financial advice, with 48% citing fraud and scams, 29% worried about pyramid schemes, and 27% concerned about misleading opinions. Younger investors specifically feared pump-and-dump price manipulation schemes at a 27% rate. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

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