# bKash
> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/bkash
> research date 2026-05-29 · extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards
Specifications:
- [bKash — official](https://www.bkash.com/)
- [bKash — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BKash)
## Overview
**bKash** is **Bangladesh's leading mobile financial service (MFS) platform**, operated by **bKash Limited** — launched **July 2011 as a joint venture between BRAC Bank + Money in Motion LLC** [1][1], [2][2], [Bangladesh report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BD). By **December 2025**, bKash served **82+ million users** in a population of ~170 million, handling **60%+ of all mobile-money transactions in Bangladesh**. The joint venture has expanded to include **International Finance Corporation (IFC) of World Bank Group**, **Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation**, **Ant International**, and **SoftBank Group** — extraordinary international-development-finance backing.
In **March 2025**, **Bangladesh Bank raised bKash transaction limits** to **BDT 50,000 daily for cash-in + send-money** and **BDT 500,000 maximum account balance** — reflecting bKash's expanding role in Bangladeshi financial-services.
## History
**July 2011 — Launched as BRAC Bank + Money in Motion LLC joint venture** [2][2], [3][3]: Originally focused on financial inclusion for unbanked Bangladeshis.
**2013-2015 — Mass adoption among rural + urban poor** [2][2]: Branchless banking model.
**2014-2020 — Additional strategic investors** [3][3]: IFC (World Bank Group), Gates Foundation, Ant International, SoftBank Group join shareholder list.
**2024-2025 — 70M+ users, growing toward 82M by Dec 2025** [1][1], [2][2].
**March 2025 — Bangladesh Bank raises bKash transaction limits** [4][4]:
- Daily cash-in limit: BDT 50,000.
- Daily send-money limit: BDT 50,000.
- Maximum account balance: BDT 5,00,000.
**Ongoing — SME partnership with BRAC Bank** [3][3]: Agents + distributors with BRAC Bank SME current accounts can instantly purchase bKash e-money for wallets.
## Ownership & operator
**Operating entity**: **bKash Limited** — Bangladeshi limited company.
**Joint venture shareholders**:
- **BRAC Bank Limited** (Bangladesh) — original co-founder + majority Bangladeshi shareholder.
- **Money in Motion LLC** (United States) — original co-founder.
- **International Finance Corporation (IFC)** — World Bank Group.
- **Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation**.
- **Ant International** (Ant Group affiliate).
- **SoftBank Group** (Japan).
**Regulator**: **Bangladesh Bank (BB)** — Mobile Financial Services (MFS) provider license.
## Technical integration
bKash is **MFS provider operating across smartphone + USSD channels** [2][2]:
| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| **Channels** | **USSD (*247#) + bKash mobile app** (iOS + Android) |
| **Identifiers** | Phone number + bKash account number + QR code |
| **Settlement** | bKash internal + BRAC Bank settlement |
| **National QR** | **[Bangla QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/bangla-qr)** integration |
| **Cross-border**: Limited (BD-specific) |
## Users & growth
**Bangladesh (December 2025)** [1][1], [2][2]:
- **Total users**: 82+ million
- **Active user base**: 70+ million
- **Market share**: 60%+ of all Bangladeshi mobile-money transactions
**Bangladesh mobile-money market growth (2024-2025)**:
- **MFS accounts**: +20 million in a year.
- **Transactions**: +32% YoY.
**March 2025 transaction-limit increases**:
- Daily cash-in: BDT 50,000.
- Daily send-money: BDT 50,000.
- Max balance: BDT 500,000.
## Use cases
**P2P transfers (Send Money)** [1][1]: Cardinal use — instant phone-number-addressed.
**Cash-in via agents** [2][2]: Wide-reach Bangladeshi physical network.
**Cash-out via agents** [2][2]: Physical agent network for withdrawal.
**Merchant QR payments via Bangla QR** [[bangla-qr-cro]]: Increasing Bangladeshi merchant acceptance.
**Bill payments (utility, education, government)** [1][1]: Comprehensive Bangladeshi services.
**Mobile recharges** [1][1]: Multi-MNO.
**Microcredit + savings (Astha integration)** [3][3]: BRAC Bank integration.
**Salary disbursement** [1][1]: Employer payroll directly to bKash wallets.
**Diaspora remittance receiving** [Bangladesh report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BD): Major use case — Bangladeshi diaspora remits to bKash wallets.
## Implementations & partners
**Operating entity**: **bKash Limited**.
**Shareholders / partners**: BRAC Bank + Money in Motion + IFC + Gates Foundation + Ant International + SoftBank Group.
**BRAC Bank partnership**: SME current-account holders can instantly purchase bKash e-money.
**National QR**: **[Bangla QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/bangla-qr)** integration.
**Regulator**: **Bangladesh Bank (BB)** — MFS license.
**Major Bangladeshi competitors**:
- **Nagad** (Bangladesh Post-Office subsidiary; state-affiliated competitor).
- **Rocket** (Dutch-Bangla Bank).
- **Upay** (UCB).
- **Tap** (Trust Bank).
## Fun facts
- **Launched July 2011** — among South Asia's foundational mobile-money platforms.
- **82M+ users in 170M-population Bangladesh** — ~48% population penetration.
- **60%+ of all Bangladeshi mobile-money transactions** — dominant share.
- **Six major international shareholders**: BRAC Bank + Money in Motion + IFC + Gates Foundation + Ant + SoftBank.
- **IFC + Gates Foundation backing** — substantial international-development-finance support, illustrating bKash's financial-inclusion mission.
- **Ant International + SoftBank Group** — Asian strategic investors complementing development-finance ones.
- **March 2025 transaction-limit increases** — Bangladesh Bank trust in bKash's compliance + risk management.
- **BRAC Bank SME synergy** — SME current-account holders use BRAC Bank funds to top up bKash agent wallets instantly.
## Comparison
| Feature | bKash | Nagad (BD competitor) | [M-Pesa](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/m-pesa) (KE — group) | EasyPaisa (PK) | JazzCash (PK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | **bKash Limited (JV)** | Bangladesh Post Office subsidiary | Vodacom + Safaricom JV | Telenor Bank + Easypaisa | Mobilink Microfinance Bank |
| Country | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | Kenya + 6 others | Pakistan | Pakistan |
| Users | **82M+ (Dec 2025)** | 70M+ | 66.2M | Major | Major |
| Heritage | BRAC Bank + Money in Motion | State postal service | Safaricom MNO | Telenor MNO | Mobilink MNO |
| Major shareholders | **BRAC + MIM + IFC + Gates + Ant + SoftBank** | State-affiliated | Vodacom + Safaricom | Telenor | Mobilink |
| Market share | **60%+ of BD MM** | Major | Dominant in Kenya | Major | Major |
## Status
**Active, dominant Bangladeshi MFS** [1][1], [2][2], [4][4]:
- **bKash Limited operator** since July 2011 BRAC Bank + Money in Motion JV.
- **82M+ users (Dec 2025) / 60%+ of Bangladeshi mobile-money market share**.
- **Six major international shareholders** (BRAC + MIM + IFC + Gates + Ant + SoftBank).
- **March 2025 Bangladesh Bank transaction-limit increases** (BDT 50K daily, BDT 500K max balance).
## Sources
[1]: https://knowledge.antom.com/bkash-payment-guide "bKash payment guide — Antom"
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BKash "bKash — Wikipedia"
[3]: https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/corporates/brac-bank-bkash-collaborate-streamline-sme-digital-transactions-1159176 "BRAC Bank + bKash SME — TBS"
[4]: https://www.bkash.com/en/about "bKash about — official"
[bd-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BD
[bangla-qr-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/bangla-qr
- [1] [bKash payment guide — Antom][1]
- [2] [bKash — Wikipedia][2]
- [3] [BRAC Bank + bKash SME — TBS][3]
- [4] [bKash about — official][4]
- [Bangladesh report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/BD) In-corpus: `reports/countries/BD-bangladesh.md`
- [bangla-qr-cro] In-corpus: `reports/standards/bangla-qr.md`
## Source
Biography extracted from [bkash.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/bkash). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.