National Open Payment Rail as Public Infrastructure

C5/10May 13, 2026

WhatA government-backed or nonprofit real-time payment network that operates as a public utility, preventing private processors from acting as de facto content regulators.

SignalMultiple commenters express deep frustration that Visa and Mastercard function as unaccountable quasi-governmental gatekeepers over legal commerce, with no viable alternative for platforms or consumers.

Why NowFedNow launched in 2023, Brazil's Pix and India's UPI have proven the model works at scale, and growing bipartisan concern about corporate censorship creates rare political alignment.

MarketEvery US merchant paying 2-3% interchange fees; the US card network revenue pool is ~$100B+; gap is that FedNow exists but has no consumer-facing rails or merchant adoption push.

MoatNetwork effects — once merchants and consumers adopt, switching costs are enormous; regulatory mandate could guarantee ubiquity like UPI in India.

Kickstarter is forced to ban adult content by payment processors View discussion ↗ · Article ↗ · 384 pts · May 13, 2026

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