*

Nu Holdings ( NU ) considering moving legal domicile to UK, CEO

says

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Nubank looking at now 'more attractive' US market for

expansion

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No plans now to enter a new market, eyes move in 18-24

months

(Adds line on implications for Britain, report on the plan last

year in paragraph 4, CEO quotes on US in paragraphs 8-9)

By Elisa Martinuzzi and Brad Haynes

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Nu Holdings Ltd ( NU )

, the fintech that created Latin America's most valuable

lender in Nubank, is considering moving its legal domicile to

Britain ahead of a global expansion that may include the United

States, its founder and CEO David Velez told Reuters.

"We are actively thinking what are some of the jurisdictions

that make sense for us to consider, as we think about the next

10 years of global expansion," Velez said on Monday.

"We are considering the UK," he added, while cautioning that

tax changes bring "uncertainty in terms of jurisdiction and

where to operate," Velez said in an interview on the sidelines

of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos.

If Nu Holdings ( NU ) goes ahead with moving its legal base to

Britain, a move Bloomberg said the bank was considering in a

report citing sources last November, it will be a significant

coup for the country in the post-Brexit financial landscape.

Since Velez started Nubank's operations in Sao Paulo

more than a decade ago, it has grown past 100 million customers

in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, making it one of the world's

largest digital challenger banks.

Velez said President Donald Trump's new U.S. administration,

which has signalled a likely embrace of regulation for digital

assets such as cryptocurrencies, should create a more favourable

environment for Nubank to consider entering that market.

"With the U.S. getting on board, fintech and crypto are

back," Velez said. "When an administration suddenly sees fintech

as being good for consumers and more competition, that makes it

more attractive."

Velez said that a streamlining of U.S. regulations could

make the banking sector more interesting for new entrants.

"The U.S. has several regulatory agencies regulating the

same thing. So if there is a simplification of the regulatory

agencies, they could make a much more interesting environment

for other players to come in," he added.

While Europe is a relevant market from a size perspective,

Velez said it is not a priority for Nubank to launch services,

given the regulatory and competitive environment. Instead, he

said a potential European domicile could serve as a legal

presence from which to manage the group and recruit talent.

Nubank, which is domiciled in the Cayman Islands, already

has about 40 employees working from offices it opened in Berlin

in 2017.

Asked about expanding internationally, Velez said Nubank's

$150 million investment last month in Singapore-based digital

bank Tyme Group, which has 15 million customers in South Africa

and the Philippines, offered a window into new emerging markets.

"When you look at a lot of emerging markets, there are a lot

of similarities with what we've seen in Brazil and Mexico," he

said, adding there were no immediate plans for entering a new

market, but he expected to make a move in the next 18 to 24

months.