April 16, 2026
Top Fintech and Payments Voices to Follow in 2026
Global digital payments now handle trillions of dollars every year, while cash use in many countries has dropped to single-digit percentages of everyday spending. In Europe, open banking has expanded quickly since PSD2, with thousands of regulated APIs now powering new financial products.
At the same time, AI in financial services is expected to generate hundreds of billions in value through automation, better risk models, and faster decision-making.
For product, UX, and strategy teams, the challenge is staying close to what actually matters as things change quickly.
Many of the key shifts show up in practice, startups in LATAM testing new payment models, teams in Europe working within regulation, and engineers in APAC building real-time financial systems.
That’s why following the right fintech voices matters. Not because they predict the future, but because they’re already building it.
In this article, we highlight key fintech influencers across Europe, APAC, and LATAM sharing real-world insights and lessons from inside the industry.
Europe Fintech Voices
Efi Pylarinou
Efi Pylarinou is a globally recognised fintech and blockchain thought leader, former Wall Street professional, and advisor on digital finance innovation. She is widely known for her deep analysis of emerging technologies shaping financial services.
Simon Taylor
Simon Taylor is one of the most influential fintech commentators in Europe. As founder of Fintech Brain Food, he shares insights on banking, payments, and digital finance trends, and regularly advises leading financial institutions and startups.
Marcel Van Oost
Marcel Van Oost is a fintech and digital banking specialist with leadership experience in payments, innovation, and financial services transformation. He actively contributes to conversations around the future of banking infrastructure.
Megan Caywood
Megan Caywood is a recognised leader in digital banking and fintech innovation, with senior experience at global financial institutions including Barclays and Starling Bank. She is known for driving large-scale digital transformation initiatives and for her practical perspective on how banks can modernise their technology and customer experience.
Panagiotis Kriaris
A senior payments and fintech executive focused on business development and partnerships, Panagiotis brings strong expertise in scaling innovation across banking and commerce ecosystems.
Arthur Bedel
Arthur Bedel is a fintech operator and strategist working across partnerships, growth, and product development in financial services, with a strong focus on ecosystem expansion. He regularly shares insights on how fintechs and financial institutions can collaborate more effectively, with a particular emphasis on partnerships as a driver of sustainable growth.
Samantha Seaton
As Co-Chair of the UK Smart Data Council, Samantha Seaton is a leading voice in open banking and the UK’s evolving data economy. With a strong background in financial services, she brings a balanced perspective that connects innovation with regulation, focusing on how data can deliver practical value for both businesses and consumers.
David Brear
As CEO of 11:FS, David Brear is a leading voice in digital-first banking strategy, advising banks and financial institutions on building more intuitive, user-focused experiences while challenging traditional industry models.
Lupina Iturriaga
Lupina Iturriaga is a fintech leader, CEO, investor, and board member with over 20 years of experience in banking, marketing, and product. She has been recognised by Forbes and the Financial Times for her impact on the industry.
APAC Fintech Voices
Vincent Fong
Vincent Fong is Chief Editor at Fintech News Malaysia and a key fintech journalist in APAC. He is known for shaping industry narratives and building strong fintech communities across Southeast Asia.
David Jimenez Maireles
A fintech and financial services specialist focused on digital transformation, partnerships, and ecosystem growth across APAC, advising startups and institutions on scaling financial products.
Monica Millares
Monica Millares is a fintech and payments expert focused on customer-centric financial products. She also hosts the podcast Purpose Driven FinTech, featuring founders and industry leaders, with a particular focus on inclusion, real-world impact, and building services that go beyond profit to deliver meaningful value for users.
Zennon Kapron
Founder of Kapronasia, Zennon Kapron is a leading analyst in Asian fintech, specialising in banking, payments, and financial infrastructure across the region. His analysis provides a valuable perspective on how regional trends in Asia are influencing the global evolution of financial services.
LATAM Fintech Voices
Clementina Giraldo
Clementina Giraldo is Founder and CEO of Dots & Tech and has worked with organisations such as the World Economic Forum and the Inter-American Development Bank, driving adoption of AI and blockchain in Latin America.
Edwin Zacipa
Edwin Zacipa is a fintech entrepreneur and co-founder of the Colombian Fintech Association, with experience in open finance, retail banking intelligence, and ecosystem advisory roles.
Bruno Diniz
Bruno Diniz is co-founder of Spiralem, an innovation consultancy helping financial institutions in Latin America adopt new technologies to improve customer experience and efficiency.
Ramon Heredia
Ramon Heredia is founder of Digital Bank Latam, one of the most influential platforms connecting banks, fintechs, and tech providers, accelerating digital transformation across the region.
Marcela Torres Córdoba
Marcela Torres Córdoba is a recognised fintech leader in Latin America, with strong experience in digital payments and financial infrastructure, actively contributing to ecosystem discussions and innovation.
Why these voices matter
Fintech today is shaped as much by people as by institutions. Beyond companies and press releases, it is the practitioners sharing what they see, test, and build that often define where the industry is heading.
That is why people matter more than ever.
The conversations happening on the ground often reveal what reports miss, how customers actually behave, where friction still exists, and which “standards” are already changing in practice.
For product, UX, and strategy teams, following these voices is a way to stay close to reality. It helps you spot change while it is still forming, not after it has already scaled.
It keeps attention on what matters most:
- How customer expectations are changing in real contexts
- Where payment innovation is emerging outside traditional players
- How open banking is evolving in day-to-day product work
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Marketing & Comms Director
Seasoned Marcomms professional with 8+ years of experience in brand management and digital communications. I thrive on creating impactful content and creative strategies, leveraging location-enhanced data enrichment insights for financial and digital technology companies. In my spare time, I nurture my mind and spirit through creative pursuits and immersive reading.