In response to President Trump’s executive order on fintech firms yesterday, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s (NCRC) President and CEO Jesse Van Tol issued the following statement:
“This executive order dresses up deregulation as innovation. It helps powerful fintech and crypto firms push deeper into the financial system while sidestepping rules designed to protect consumers, small businesses and communities.
“The order could let fintech and crypto firms get the benefits of the banking and payments system without the public obligations that should come with that access. For example, a company could gain faster access to payment systems or bank partnerships while facing weaker requirements to show that it lends fairly, protects consumers or invests in the communities where it does business.
“Regulators should be asking a simple question: if fintech firms want access to critical financial infrastructure, what are they required to give back to the public?
“Access to the banking system should not be a race to the bottom. Companies that rely on the public infrastructure should be required to serve communities fairly, disclose where their money goes and meet real community reinvestment obligations.”
