Plaid and the Transformation of U.S. Financial Infrastructure: Fintech, AI, and Banking Connectivity
Over a decade ago, the gap between the U.S. banking system and the digital world was huge. Linking bank accounts to financial apps often involved cumbersome verification, long waits, or even faxed documents. Plaid , founded in 2013, changed this landscape, creating an invisible financial highway connecting banks to apps and making financial services more accessible to millions. Building the Financial Highway with Plaid Plaid’s mission is simple yet transformative. CEO Zach Perret explains: “We’ve built the pipeline. One out of every two Americans connects their bank accounts through Plaid.” This pipeline allows fintech developers to innovate faster without integrating separately with thousands of banks. Apps like Robinhood lowered investment barriers, while Venmo made peer-to-peer payments as simple as sending a text. Plaid operates invisibly behind the scenes, powering these innovations. How Plaid Empowers Small and Regional Banks Plaid isn’t just for tech giants. Small and region...