Banks Took $434 Billion From Americans Last Year — Is it Time for Bitcoin?
Banks extracted hundreds of billions from American savers last year — and the scale of it shows a deep structural issue in America’s financial system. Bitcoin might help.
In 2025, U.S. banks generated roughly $434 billion in net interest income, or about $1,670 per adult, according to research from the $River.
The mechanism is straightforward: banks take customer deposits, lend or invest those funds at higher rates, and return only a fraction of the yield to depositors. With most savings accounts offering close to zero interest, that spread compounds into one of the most reliable profit engines in the economy.