Nine online influencers that shape the future of payments

As the speed of innovation in payments increases, so does the pace of the debate: which technologies will dominate the future? Due to the rise of social media and blogs, online influencers are increasingly leading this debate.

Who are the ones that play an important part in the discussion? These are nine influencers you should keep an eye on.

Brett King

Twitter: @brettking (12,500+ followers)
Blog: Banking4tomorrow.com

CEO of Moven (‘the world’s first downloadable bank account’ according to his bio) who is active as a speaker and blogger on his own Banking4tomorrow.com and Finextra. Finextra is perhaps the most complete blog on financial technology out there. Apart from the latest news, it offers features and analyses and a video channel.

Chris Skinner

Twitter: @Chris_Skinner (8,000+ followers)
Blog: Financial Services Club Blog

On his Financial Services Club Blog, Chris Skinner is not afraid to write about controversial topics, like Give merchants the finger: now you can with PayPal. Not only does he share his opinion on innovations in financial services, he also provides an extra service to his readers by curating content from other news sources in the category Things worth reading.

Hansjörg Leichsenring

Twitter: @hleichsenring (7,500+ followers)
Blog: Der Bank Blog

Hansjörg’s Der Blank Blog (in German) focuses on the interpretation of developments in banking: what do these innovations mean for the industry and its customers? He is not afraid to make a fierce statement, like ‘Banks must be more like Google & Co‘.

Bradley Leimer

Twitter: @leimer (7,500+ followers)
Blog: Discerning Technologist

Bradley is a blogger of the philosophical type, wondering about questions like What would a disruptive bank look like? and What can banks expect beyond 2014?

Jim Bruene

Twitter: @netbanker (7,000+ followers)
Blog: Finovate

In between Finovate events (a series of conferences on financial technology), their website keeps visitors up to speed on the future of financial and banking technology. Jim Bruene is the driving force behind Finovate.

Tim Green

Twitter: @timgreen64 (2,500+ followers)
Blog: Mobile Money Revolution

Whether it’s NFC, pay per fingerprint or QR code based checkouts, Tim Green always covers the latest news in mobile payments. Always with a twist, that is: ‘Views not my own but those of the evil homunculus inside my head’, says his Twitter bio.

Dirk Elsner

Twitter: @blicklog (2,500 followers)
Blog: Blick Log

Besides being a columnist for the WSJ Deutschland and CFOWorld, Dirk Elsner runs a personal blog on the financial markets in general, and the digital developments in particular.

JP Nicols

Twitter: @jpnicols (2,000+ followers)
Blog: JPNicols.com

JP’s list of blogs is impressive. He is one of the founders of the Bank Innovators Regularly, and he also contributes to BankNXT, BankInnovation and Finextra

Topics: innovation, strategy and leadership for the future of financial services.

André M. Bajorat

Twitter: @ambajorat (1,500 followers)
Blog: Paymentandbanking.com/

As a specialist in e- and m-payments and online banking, André is an active blogger. On Paymentandbanking.com he regularly brings news and opinions on several topics including banking, payment, mobile and financial technology.