The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has proposed a rule to accelerate the industry's shift to open banking, requiring banks and other data providers to allow consumers to access and share financial data through secure developer interfaces. This move is expected to reinforce growth in fintech apps and services as consumers increasingly use multiple apps to manage their finances. Plaid, a company that provides APIs for accessing financial data, has seen significant growth in API adoption and partnerships, with over 6,300 institutions now connected to its platform. The company also recently released its annual Fintech Effect report, which offers insights into industry trends. Additionally, Plaid is investing in its Partner Dashboard to facilitate faster onboarding of new partners. The company's payments solution facilitates real-time payments and supports multi-rail bank payment systems with a single API. Furthermore, Plaid has formed a new entity that will provide credit risk insights from consumer permissioned cash flow data, enabling lenders to make smarter risk decisions. Overall, the proposed CFPB rule and Plaid's efforts are expected to accelerate the adoption of open banking and drive growth in fintech apps and services.