> US banking (in the EU I can transfer cash, instantly, for free to a friend's bank account and have been able to do so for a decade)

This one actually seems like a fault of the US government dragging its feet on making advancements on a nationwide protocol for transferring money and staying stuck on ACH. So much so that, that the biggest banks had to get together and create their own system 10 years ago:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelle_(payment_service)

> Launched in April 2011, clearXchange was originally owned by Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo.

Supposedly, the US government is finally rolling out a proper system in 2023:

https://www.federalreserve.gov/paymentsystems/fednow_about.h...