Crypto & Fintech Titans Declare War on Bank Data Fees—Who Will Blink First?

Banking's paywall meets its match as crypto disruptors and fintech giants rally against 'outdated' data charges.

The Fee Revolt Goes Mainstream

Top execs from decentralized finance and neobanks are publicly slamming traditional institutions for monetizing access to basic transaction data—a move they call 'innovation tax.'

APIs or Die Trying

With real-time payments becoming table stakes, the industry's refusal to open pipelines without tollbooths sparks DeFi workarounds. 'They're forcing us to rebuild the system,' says one Chainlink dev.

Wall Street's Data Monopoly Crumbles

As blockchain analytics tools outpace legacy reporting, the old guard faces an existential choice: adapt or watch revenue streams evaporate. (But let's be real—they'll probably just lobby for new regulations first.)

Executives claim big U.S. banks threaten Trump’s progress   

In the letter, the executives claimed that the country’s big banks are actively threatening the progress made by the Trump administration. They stated that these banks are finding ways to turn down consumers’ access to essential financial services.

The letter read in part: [America’s] “shared vision for economic freedom was under direct threat from the nation’s largest banks.” The CEOs said the Trump administration should continue laying the groundwork for the country to build a truly 21st-century economy. They believe this will position the U.S. as a world leader in financial innovation, crypto, and AI.

According to the letter, large U.S. banks aggressively took action to preserve their market positions by imposing the new account access fees. The executives asserted that free access is critical to ensuring consumers had control of their financial lives in the current digital economy. They added that large U.S. banks are fundamentally advancing a dangerous legal interpretation that excluded consumers’ freedom to share access with trusted applications.   

Trump is reminded that this new development undermined the continuing principle of consumer choice, which he vigorously advocated for in his first term. The executives told Trump that these fees would choke off business and consumer access to financial services if successful. It would eventually kill competition and cripple America’s innovation.

Fintech executives say it is not a dispute over fair pricing

1/ Today, we sent a letter from over 80 CEOs across industries urging @POTUS to support open banking and oppose anticompetitive fees on consumer data access set to take effect next month.#OpenBanking #FinancialFreedom pic.twitter.com/hwCHtpEeTN

— Financial Technology Association (@fintechassoc) August 14, 2025

The executives explained that they are not disputing fair pricing but opposed the fees’ anti-competitive design. They mentioned that this move is aimed at consolidating power and threatened to shut down financial tools and small businesses entirely. The letter urged the WHITE House to take immediate action before the fees hit the market in September. 

The companies’ bosses also asked the President to use the full power of his office and administration to prevent banks from creating this barrier to financial freedom. They said this is about honoring consumers’ informed consent when linking their accounts to tools that will power the country’s future in payment innovations, AI, and crypto. Consumers have the right to access their data.

According to the letter, severing the connection between banks and crypto would drive innovation offshore. Moreover, the promise of personalized AI financial management depended on Americans being free to choose tools that would act as their authorized agents. Blocking consumers’ free access to their account information would stifle the expansion of low-cost payments, and increase costs for small businesses. 

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