The Payments Association Appoints Daniel Jonas to Lead New Global Payments Infrastructure Group

The Payments Association has appointed Daniel Jonas as Global Ambassador to lead its new Global Payments Infrastructure Working Group. This initiative aims to tackle the fragmentation of international payment systems by fostering cross-border interoperability and resilience, a critical move for fintech professionals navigating the increasingly complex coexistence of fiat, stablecoins, and tokenised deposits.

What was announced

The Payments Association has tasked Daniel Jonas with spearheading the Global Payments Infrastructure Working Group, a new initiative designed to unify the often-siloed efforts of payment designers, operators, and regulators. Jonas, a strategist with over 25 years of experience in innovation leadership at organisations including Atkins and Pay.UK, will serve as Global Ambassador. His remit is to address the systemic fragmentation that currently hampers the global movement of value.

The working group functions as a practitioner-led forum, examining the legal, regulatory, and technical dependencies required for modern payment solutions to scale. A primary focus is the "multi-moneyverse," where traditional fiat and commercial bank money must coexist with emerging digital assets such as stablecoins and tokenised deposits. By identifying existing gaps and reusing proven global models, the group aims to reduce the duplication of effort that often leads to excessive friction and cost for end users.

Key milestones for the initiative have already been established. The group is scheduled to produce its first major output—a comprehensive report laying out a common framework and practical recommendations—in early 2027. Furthermore, the working group will take a prominent role during Payments Week in London, slated for April 2027. This timeline suggests a long-term commitment to establishing a systematic approach to interoperability across international borders, ensuring that money and other forms of value can move safely from end to end.

"It's a genuinely exciting time for global collaboration. Over my years in this industry, I've seen how fragmented things can be, different businesses and specialities chasing the same outcome and reinventing the wheel but rarely working together to solve shared global challenges or make use of existing capability or interconnections. What we need is real co-operation across the industry and beyond it so payments infrastructure can realise its unique potential to act as the backbone of the financial and digital world in the era of the “multi-moneyverse.”"

Daniel Jonas, newly appointed Global Ambassador.

The companies involved

The Payments Association is a prominent trade body representing the interests of the payments sector. The organisation underwent a significant rebranding on October 8, 2021, changing its name from the Emerging Payments Association (EPA) to its current title to reflect its broader influence and the maturing nature of the industry. Led by Director General Tony Craddock, who also founded the association, it serves as a central hub for networking, policy influence, and industry standardisation.

The association operates as a neutral platform where competitors and stakeholders can collaborate on non-competitive infrastructure challenges. Its membership spans the entire payments value chain, from established banks and card schemes to disruptive fintech startups and technology providers. In recent years, the body has increasingly focused on the intersection of regulation and innovation, positioning itself as a bridge between private sector practitioners and public sector policy makers. By launching the Global Payments Infrastructure Working Group, the association is expanding its reach beyond domestic UK concerns to address the complexities of the global financial backbone, leveraging its extensive network of infrastructure experts to drive international progress.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the strategic moves of The Payments Association as it navigates a period of rapid industry change. In late 2025, the body was vocal regarding regulatory shifts, as seen in Payments Industry Warns That HM Treasury Proposals Risk Jeopardising UK Payments Reform. This followed a significant corporate milestone in August 2025, when The Payments Association Joins Forces with Nineteen Group and Phoenix Equity Partners to Accelerate Growth.

The association has also been active in research and leadership appointments. We reported on their findings that Digital Payment Solutions Could Unlock Billions for UK Consumers, Report Finds, highlighting the economic stakes of infrastructure reform. Furthermore, the appointment of Daniel Jonas follows other high-profile leadership additions, such as when The Payments Association Cements Its Leadership With Nick Kerigan as Advisory Board Chair in September 2025.

What this means

The creation of this working group highlights a growing anxiety within the sector: that the pace of digital asset innovation is outstripping the underlying infrastructure's ability to support it. By focusing on the "multi-moneyverse," the association is acknowledging that the future of finance is not a winner-takes-all battle between fiat and crypto, but a complex hybrid system. The real pressure is now on legacy operators and national regulators who have historically operated in silos. If this group can successfully establish a common framework for interoperability, it could significantly lower the barrier to entry for cross-border fintech services, though the 2027 deadline suggests that the road to standardisation remains long and technically fraught.