Jack Mallers Say Big Banks Are Holding Merchants Hostage, And Bitcoin Is the Way Out

Twenty One Capital CEO Jack Mallers, speaking at Bitcoin 2026, accused card networks and banks of ‘‘holding merchants hostage’’ with 3–5% merchant fees and argued Bitcoin is a faster, cheaper global payments alternative to gold. His remarks promote on‑chain payments and highlight structural costs hidden in card rewards, potentially feeding merchant and developer interest in Bitcoin payment rails. Mallers’ firm holds 43,514 BTC (~$3.3bn), a cited signal of strong institutional conviction that may support demand and market confidence. Bitcoin is trading near $77,219 in the piece, which the article frames as evidence of continued adoption and real‑world use cases. Overall the story is bullish for Bitcoin adoption and sentiment, with potential longer‑term market impact if merchants and wallets accelerate BTC payment integrations.