Fee Burden for Every Card Payment...Could Bitcoin Be the New Savior for Small Business Owners?

▲ Card Payment, Bitcoin (BTC)/AI Generated Image

It is argued that Bitcoin (BTC) is the only alternative that can break down the unfair fee structure of the existing financial system and realize true economic freedom, forecasting a paradigm shift in the payment market.

According to Bitcoinist, a cryptocurrency specialized media outlet, on April 30 (local time), Jack Mallers, CEO of Twenty One Capital, took the stage at the 'Bitcoin 2026 Conference' and strongly criticized card networks like Visa and Mastercard for exploiting small business owners. He argued that the payment system currently used daily by Americans is manipulated to disadvantage entrepreneurs.

According to Mallers' presentation, every time a consumer swipes a credit card, merchants pay 3-5% of their sales as fees. These enormous funds collected do not disappear; instead, they return to consumers as benefits such as cashback, airline miles, or airport lounge passes. Ultimately, the rewards enjoyed by consumers are virtually created at the expense of the businesses selling goods. In response, Mallers exclaimed, "They are holding merchants hostage and abusing customers."

Bitcoin was presented as a solution that can move funds globally much faster and at a lower cost than the existing payment infrastructure. CEO Mallers evaluated Bitcoin as more useful than gold. While gold, a store of value, is slow to move and unsuitable for daily payments, Bitcoin can both store and transmit value. He explained that the reason current Bitcoin holders choose to hold rather than pay is due to its limited supply of 21 million BTC, leading to expectations of value appreciation, in contrast to the dollar, which depreciates in value due to inflation.

Twenty One Capital currently holds 43,514 BTC, valued at approximately $3.3 billion. This is the second-largest holding among publicly listed companies, demonstrating that CEO Mallers' claims are not merely philosophical pronouncements. CEO Mallers clearly stated his goal to break the monopolistic dominance of centralized financial institutions by creating an environment where all entrepreneurs and consumers can choose Bitcoin payments.

The issue of small business owners having to bear the hidden costs of card fees is a long-standing challenge that predates the emergence of virtual assets. CEO Mallers' attempt to introduce Bitcoin is regarded as a practical challenge to resolve these chronic financial problems. If a new payment ecosystem free from central institutional control is established, the revenue structure of the existing financial sector is expected to undergo fundamental changes.

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