Grasshopper and Narmi Expand Access to Generative AI to Streamline Financial Workflows With ChatGPT Integration & OAuth

Grasshopper, a client-first, full service digital bank, and Narmi, a leading digital-banking-platform provider, today announced the next evolution of their groundbreaking Model Context Protocol (MCP) server deployment, with expanded functionality to support ChatGPT from OpenAI, an AI research and development company, and OAuth 2.0-based authorization for secure, permissioned data access. 

In addition to these enhancements, the MCP server also includes new read-only endpoints designed to strengthen data integrity and enable developers to responsibly expand AI-driven banking experiences, once again setting a new standard for how artificial intelligence (AI) can operate safely inside regulated financial systems.

Upon its launch, Grasshopper became the first U.S. bank to deploy an MCP server, transforming how startups and small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can access, understand, and act on their financial data. This milestone marked the beginning of a new era in digital banking, one where intelligent, conversational AI empowers entrepreneurs to access and use their financial data for faster, smarter decision making. Through this expanded functionality, Grasshopper and Narmi are making AI-powered tools more accessible while allowing end users to maintain greater control over their financial data.

“Supporting ChatGPT expands the universe of clients who can benefit from our AI connector and, together with OAuth, makes it easier and more secure for startups and small businesses to harness the power of generative AI to streamline their financial workflows,” said Nate Gruendemann, Product Manager at Grasshopper. “This evolution of the platform allows teams to explore advanced AI capabilities in a secure, consent-based framework, helping us and our partners innovate responsibly while maintaining the trust that’s core to every banking relationship.”

Narmi’s MCP technology enables Grasshopper’s Business Banking clients to connect their accounts to leading Large Language Models (LLMs) like Anthropic’s Claude and ChatGPT to securely query their financial information and get actionable, AI-driven insights in real time. By integrating OAuth, a widely-adopted, open authorization framework, users can now grant third-party applications limited access to their data without sharing sensitive credentials, making it easier than ever for businesses to leverage AI insights while maintaining the highest standards of security. 

“AI represents the next major channel in banking: one that meets users where they already are,” said Chris Griffin, co-founder of Narmi. “With over 800 million people now using ChatGPT every week — an increase of nearly 300 million since March — and commanding more than 80% of the LLM market, financial institutions have an unprecedented opportunity to participate in a marketplace that’s quickly becoming foundational to how people access information and manage their financial lives. Just as mobile banking transformed accessibility fifteen years ago, MCP is positioned to level the playing field again by bringing personalized, AI-driven banking experiences directly into the tools people already use every day.”

Initial adopters report that Grasshopper’s MCP server, currently available in an open beta, has transformed how they engage with their financial data. By consolidating multiple data sources into a single, conversational interface, clients can anticipate cash flow challenges, uncover trends, spot anomalies, evaluate scenarios, and plan proactively. Users say the system provides a level of insight and foresight that transforms everyday financial management into a strategic advantage. 

“At EnFi, we develop agentic solutions that help financial institutions accelerate loan origination and monitoring. As CFO of an AI-first company, I find it incredibly exciting to leverage the same type of technology we provide our customers to transform our own financial operations,” said Michelle Hipwood, Chief Financial Officer at EnFi. “Grasshopper’s MCP represents a glimpse into the future of financial management, enabling me to pose complex cash flow questions in natural language, dramatically reducing the time I spend on routine financial analysis while improving the quality of our cash flow management decisions.”