Which U.S. bank, founded by Alexander Hamilton, is now known as BNY Mellon?

The U.S. bank founded with Alexander Hamilton’s involvement and now known through BNY Mellon’s lineage was the Bank of New York.

The Bank of New York was formed in 1784 after a meeting in New York City, and Hamilton was among the founders and early shareholders. Alexander McDougall became its first president. The bank initially operated without a formal charter, opening its first offices in the Walton Mansion before moving to Hanover Square.

Hamilton later played a major role in arranging the bank's first loan to the United States government in 1789, while serving as Treasury secretary. The institution also became the first company traded on the New York Stock Exchange when the exchange opened in 1792.

In 2007, the Bank of New York merged with Mellon Financial Corporation, founded in 1869, to create The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. That corporate history explains why “Bank of New York” is the expected answer, although Hamilton was one of a founding group rather than the bank's sole founder.