Fintech Influencers To Follow In 2026

Fintech Influencers To Follow In 2026

Want expert fintech marketing for your brand? Book a Zoom with our team.

#1 Sopnendu Mohanty – CEO, Global Finance & Technology Network

Region: Global (APAC focus)

Followers: 48k+
Why follow: Former Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Chief FinTech Officer; now influencing cross-border fintech policy and digital infrastructure. Sharp insights into AI regulation, digital public goods, and global payments.

#2 Paolo Sironi – Global Research Leader, IBM

Region: Global (EU)

Followers: 45k+
Why follow: Deep thinking on AI, digital banking transformation, and platform economics. One of the most consistent fintech thought-leaders on LinkedIn.

#3 Dr Leda Glyptis – Author, Speaker, Fintech Transformation Leader

Region: UK / Europe

Followers: 18k+
Why follow: Author of Bankers Like Us; expect bold commentary on legacy banking, digital transformation, and culture change.

#4 Brett King – Futurist & Author, “Bank 4.0”

Region: Global

Followers: 56k+
Why follow: Bank futurist, speaker and host of the Breaking Banks podcast. His posts track the future of finance, AI, and digital identity.

#5 Ron Shevlin – Chief Research Officer, Cornerstone Advisors

Region: U.S.

Followers: 32k
Why follow: Known for data-driven insights and sharp takes on banking, customer experience, fintech partnerships, and consumer behaviour.

#6 Jim Marous — Speaker, Publisher, Podcast Host

Region: U.S.

Followers: 249k+
Why follow: With a focus on digital banking innovation, Jim is a go-to authority for benchmarks and transformation insights.

#7 Nicole Casperson – Founder, Fintech Is Femme

Region: U.S.

Followers: 17k+
Why follow: One of the most influential voices advocating for women in fintech. Builds accessible content on fintech leadership, culture and growth.

#8 Richard Turrin – Author, “Cashless” & “Innovation Lab Excellence”

Region: APAC (Shanghai)

Followers: 52k+
Why follow: A go-to voice on CBDCs, payments innovation, China’s fintech landscape and global digital finance trends.

#9 Anndy Lian – Web3 & Fintech Strategist

Region: APAC (Singapore, Korea)

Followers: 25k+
Why follow: Popular among Asian fintech followers; offers bite-sized commentary on digital assets, regulation, blockchain use-cases, and fintech investment.

#10 Susanne Chishti — UK/EU

Region: UK/EU

Followers: 40k+
Why follow: Experienced Board Member, Chair at FINTECH Circle & Non-Executive Director at Crown Agents Bank (CAB Payments PLC) – Chair of ESG Sub-Committee. Fintech Investor, FTSE Board Member, Keynote Speaker. Fintech leadership, startup ecosystems, drives big European conversations and awards.

Regional Micro-Influencers for Finance

These creators frequently outperform big names on engagement rate, especially within their regions. Because their audiences are niche (fintech founders, product teams, payments professionals), engagement is more targeted.

They share trends you won’t find in global reports, e.g.:

  • Kenya’s digital banking models
  • Brazil’s PIX-driven fintech boom
  • Middle Eastern super-app ecosystems
  • Southeast Asian cross-border payments

They can also be more approachable for co-marketing, podcasts, webinars and fintech brand partnerships.

Europe (EMEA) / UK Influencers

#1 Theodora Lau 

Focus: Fintech for good, inclusion
Why: Strong voice in ethical innovation.

#2 Dave Birch 

Focus: Payments, digital identity
Why: One of the most respected (and funniest) minds in European payments.

#3 Paolo Sironi  

Focus: WealthTech, risk tech, investment platforms
Why: Brings clarity to the intersection of finance + analytics.

#4 Kat Parsons 

Focus: Women in fintech, challenger banks, LGBTQ+
Why: Very high comment-to-follower ratio. Great for community engagement.

#5 Andreia Stanciu 

Focus: Fintech marketing, startup growth
Why: Consistent engagement, popular with early-stage fintech audiences.

USA Influencers

#6 Brett King  

Focus: Future of finance, AI in banking
Why follow: Consistently drives conversation on the future of money.

#7 Ron Shevlin  

Focus: Banking, fintech research
Why follow: Data-backed insights + sarcasm + actual analysis.

MENA (UAE, KSA) Influencers

#8 Mohammed Kateeb 

Focus: Islamic fintech, digital transformation
Why follow: Highly influential in MENA banking circles.

#9 Nameer Khan 

Focus: MENA fintech ecosystem
Why: Chairman of MENA Fintech Association; extremely active in shaping regulation.

#10 Faisal Khan (Micro-voice edition) 

Focus: Cross-border payments
Why: Viral explainer videos with high shareability in the GCC community.

Africa Influencers

#11 Shola Akinlade 

Focus: Payments, African banking innovation
Why: Co-founder insights with large influence on West Africa’s fintech direction.

#12 Odunayo Eweniyi  

Focus: Female-led fintechs, savings/investments
Why: Strong youth and startup following; great authentic engagement.

APAC (Asia-Pacific Influencers

#13 Sopnendu Mohanty — Singapore

Focus: Regulation, innovation, fintech guidelines
Why: MAS influence = critical voice in APAC fintech.

 #14 Nicole Nguyen — Vietnam/SEA

Focus: Blockchain, digital assets
Why: High engagement in SEA fintech communities.

LATAM (Brazil, Mexico) Influencers

#15 Alejo López

Focus: Digital payments, SME banking
Why: with 12k+ followers, Alejo has a slightly smaller audience to our major influencers but he has high regional interaction and real discussion.

2026, Year Of The Fintechs

2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for fintech with AI-powered banking, digital public infrastructure, and embedded finance transitioning from buzzwords to real commercial models.

Following the right fintech voices on LinkedIn keeps you plugged into:

  • Industry shifts
  • Regional nuances
  • Insights that shape opinion
  • Consumer behaviour
  • Funding and partnership trends

Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or financial services leader, these influencers give you a smart, global and regionally diverse feed.

Want to grow your fintech brand, craft LinkedIn thought leadership or build a credible online reputation? Speak to the team at Contentworks about your fintech marketing. We help fintechs scale across Europe, APAC, LATAM, Africa, and the Middle East.

 

Source: https://contentworks.agency/fintech-influencers-to-follow-in-2026/

j j j

Anndy Lian flags inflation as hidden in money printing

Anndy Lian flags inflation as hidden in money printing

Anndy Lian has raised concerns about inflation, describing it as the ‘hidden terms and conditions’ often overlooked when new money is printed. This metaphorical reference suggests that the effects of increasing the money supply can lead to inflationary pressures that may not be immediately apparent to the public.

 

 

Lian’s warning about inflation as an often-overlooked consequence of monetary expansion reflects broader uncertainties confronting digital asset markets. These complexities are reminiscent of his previous examination of the challenges impacting crypto amid market recalibration, including external threats and economic instability. Additionally, his scrutiny of VC coins’ follower surges highlights further vulnerabilities within rapidly evolving financial ecosystems.

 
j j j

Trust Wallet will cover $7M lost in Christmas Day hack, CZ says

Trust Wallet will cover $7M lost in Christmas Day hack, CZ says

Trust Wallet users lost about $7 million in a Christmas Day exploit that had been planned since early December.

Trust Wallet’s browser extension version 2.68 was compromised by a security incident impacting desktop users, Trust Wallet said in a Thursday X post; it advised users to upgrade to version 2.89.

Changpeng Zhao, co-founder of Binance, which owns the cryptocurrency wallet that claims to serve 220 million users, said in a Friday X post that the lost funds will be covered.

Cryptocurrency wallet exploits have been an increasing threat to digital asset investors.  Personal wallet compromises accounted for 37% of the value stolen in 2025, if the $1.4 billion Bybit hack in February is excluded, according to Chainalysis.

Still, the $7 million Trust Wallet exploit pales in comparison to some of the biggest wallet hacks. In February 2024, the co-founder of play-to-earn game Axie Infinity, Jeff Zirlin, lost $9.7 million worth of Ether to a suspected wallet exploit.

Crypto industry watchers raise insider concerns following Trust Wallet exploit

The orchestrators of the attack on Trust Wallet had been preparing the exploit as early as Dec. 8, wrote Yu Xian, co-founder of blockchain security firm SlowMist, in a Friday X post. A machine translation of his post read:

“The attacker started preparations at least on [Dec. 8], successfully implanted the backdoor on [Dec. 22], began transferring funds on [Christmas Day], and thus was discovered.”

The backdoor code was also collecting users’ personal information, which was sent to the attacker’s server.

According to onchain detective ZachXBT, “hundreds” of Trust Wallet users were affected.

Some industry watchers pointed to signs of potential insider activity from the exploit, as the attacker was able to submit a new version of the Trust Wallet extension on the website.

“This kind of ‘hack’ is not natural. The chances of insider is high,” intergovernmental blockchain adviser Anndy Lian wrote in a Friday X post.

Zhao agreed that the exploit was “most likely” an insider.

SlowMist’s Xian also noted that the attacker was “very familiar with the Trust Wallet extension’s source code,” which enabled them to implement the backdoor code necessary to collect sensitive user information.

 

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/trust-wallet-cover-7m-hack-zhao

j j j