Oh yes I have noticed the "middlemen" given my background and experience as I have formerly been one multiple times since the mid 90s. My efforts are currently undercutting the middlemen and their proliferation as the number of payments companies alone in the last few years has exploded as has fees which are crushing even established brands which have little to no understanding when it comes to payments.

If one did not already know online payments originated and was perfected from adult content consumption just as many technologies were but history shuns the stigma - the stories I have. Worth the watch > en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Men_(film)

Maybe we just go back to trading farm animals? j/k