Strike CEO Jack Mallers said JPMorgan Chase abruptly closed his personal bank accounts last month without providing a clear explanation, sparking fresh debate over the banking industry’s treatment of crypto executives.
“Last month, J.P. Morgan Chase threw me out of the bank. It was bizarre. My dad has been a private client there for 30+ years,” Mallers wrote on social media platform X. When he pressed the bank for details, he said the only response was, “We aren’t allowed to tell you.”
Mallers shared a letter from JPMorgan Chase, which cited unspecified “concerning activity” on his accounts. The letter, which Mallers jokingly said he had framed, noted the bank’s obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act and warned that Chase “may not be able to open new accounts” for him in the future.
The revelation has reignited industry concerns over “Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” an alleged Biden-era initiative that sought to pressure banks into limiting services to crypto businesses and executives. The program’s existence has long been disputed, but critics say debanking remains a threat to the sector.
In August, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting financial institutions from closing accounts solely because of crypto-related activity. Trump’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets said the administration had “ended Operation Choke Point 2.0 once and for all by working to end regulatory efforts that deny banking services to the digital assets industry.”
Despite this, industry figures quickly questioned whether debanking had truly stopped. Bo Hines, a former adviser on digital assets in the Trump administration and current strategic advisor to Tether, mocked Chase on X: “Hey Chase… you guys know Operation Choke Point is over, right? Just checking.”
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino also commented on Mallers’ post, writing that the account closure might be “for the best.” In a separate post, Ardoino framed the situation as a testament to Bitcoin’s resilience: “Bitcoin will resist the test of time. Those organizations that try to undermine it will fail and become dust. Simply because they can’t stop people’s choice to be free.”
Senator Cynthia Lummis chimed in on the incident, “Operation Chokepoint 2.0 regrettably lives on. Policies like JP Morgan’s undermine confidence in traditional banks and send the digital asset industry overseas,” Lummis said on X. “It’s past time we put Operation Chokepoint 2.0 to rest to make America the digital asset capital of the world.”
JPMorgan and Jeffrey Epstein
Mallers, who has a history of publicly calling out JPMorgan’s CEO Jamie Dimon, used the moment to promote Bitcoin. He posted on X: “Seek truth. Stand with integrity. Fight for freedom. Protect Bitcoin at all costs.” Mallers also leads Twenty One, a public company backed by Tether and Bitfinex, which aims to rival Michael Saylor’s Strategy in acquiring bitcoin.
The incident has drawn further scrutiny amid ongoing controversy over JPMorgan’s past dealings. Mallers referenced a post by Senator Ron Wyden highlighting that JPMorgan executives were allegedly aware of $1 billion in suspicious transactions linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
While the bank has not elaborated on the “concerning activity” cited in Mallers’ case, the closure highlights the broader tension between crypto executives and traditional financial institutions. Industry observers say such actions continue to fuel fears of politically motivated or opaque “debanking,” even as regulators emphasize compliance and risk management obligations.
Senator Ron Wyden criticized JPMorgan Chase for evading accountability over its relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, rejecting the bank’s attempt to blame a single former employee.
Wyden highlighted that multiple executives, including Mary Erdoes and Jes Staley, ignored internal warnings and delayed filing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) for six years after terminating Epstein in 2013, potentially violating federal law.
The bank’s response lacked evidence countering reports that top leadership enabled Epstein’s crimes. Wyden issued a letter demanding extensive internal documents, communications, and transaction records to investigate who knew what, why Epstein remained a client, and the delay in regulatory reporting, signaling a call for federal scrutiny.
Last month, JPMorgan research suggested that Bitcoin may be undervalued relative to gold, with potential to reach $165,000 if the “debasement trade” continues gaining momentum. Analysts note that recent gold price gains make Bitcoin more attractive, especially as the Bitcoin-to-gold volatility ratio drops below 2.0.
Based on volatility-adjusted comparisons, JPMorgan estimated Bitcoin’s $2.3 trillion market cap would need a roughly 42% increase to match gold’s $6 trillion in bars, coins, and ETFs.
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