The Payments Association Taps Daniel Jonas to Lead New Global Payments Infrastructure Working Group

The Payments Association has appointed Daniel Jonas as Global Ambassador to lead its new Global Payments Infrastructure working group. This initiative aims to address the systemic fragmentation of international payment systems, offering fintech professionals a collaborative framework to bridge the gap between traditional fiat currencies and emerging digital assets in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

What was announced

The appointment of Daniel Jonas as Global Ambassador signals a concerted effort by The Payments Association to tackle the technical and operational hurdles of modern money movement. Jonas, a strategist with over 25 years of experience including leadership roles at Atkins and Pay.UK, will head the newly formed Global Payments Infrastructure Working Group. This body is designed to bring together designers, operators, and regulators to create a more resilient and interoperable foundation for the global financial system.

The working group’s primary objective is to facilitate the coexistence of various value forms, which the association describes as the "multi-moneyverse." This includes fiat money, commercial bank money, stablecoins, and tokenised deposits. The group will operate as a neutral, practitioner-led forum, examining the legal, regulatory, technical, and commercial dependencies required for these disparate systems to work at scale. By focusing on a systematic approach to interoperability, the group intends to reduce the duplication of effort and the "reinvention of the wheel" that often plagues cross-border innovation.

The initiative has established a clear timeline for its initial contributions to the sector. The working group is scheduled to produce its first major output—a comprehensive report—in early 2027. This document will outline a common framework, identify existing gaps in global infrastructure, and provide practical recommendations for action. Furthermore, the group is set to play a central role in the upcoming Payments Week in London, scheduled for April 2027, where it will showcase proven global models and advocate for a more connected payments ecosystem.

"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 industry. Formerly known as the Emerging Payments Association (EPA), the organisation underwent a significant rebranding on October 8, 2021, to reflect its broader influence and the maturing nature of the sector. It serves as a hub for networking, education, and advocacy, working closely with regulators and government bodies to shape the future of financial services. The association is led by Director General Tony Craddock, who was also a founding figure of the original EPA.

The organisation has established itself as a critical intermediary in the UK and international markets, often providing the "neutral ground" necessary for competing firms to discuss shared infrastructure challenges. By leveraging a membership base that spans the entire payments value chain—from legacy banks to agile fintech startups—The Payments Association aims to drive standards that benefit the end-user while maintaining the safety and security of the financial network. The appointment of a Global Ambassador specifically for infrastructure highlights the association's focus on the "plumbing" of finance, which is often overlooked in favour of front-end consumer applications.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the leadership and strategic shifts at The Payments Association. We previously covered the initial news of this appointment in The Payments Association Appoints Daniel Jonas to Lead New Global Payments Infrastructure Group. The association has been active in strengthening its governance, as seen when The Payments Association Cements Its Leadership With Nick Kerigan as Advisory Board Chair in late 2025.

The trade body has also been a vocal advocate for the industry during periods of regulatory friction. In October 2025, we reported how the Payments Industry Warns That HM Treasury Proposals Risk Jeopardising UK Payments Reform. This advocacy is often backed by data-driven insights, such as those found in a report we covered titled Digital Payment Solutions Could Unlock Billions for UK Consumers, Report Finds, which highlighted the massive economic potential of modernising the UK's payment rails.

What this means

The creation of this working group is a direct response to the growing friction between traditional banking rails and the burgeoning world of digital assets. For the industry, this moves the needle by shifting the conversation from "if" these systems should interoperate to "how" they will do so safely. However, the success of such a group depends entirely on its ability to overcome the "vested interests" and "legacy thinking" that Tony Craddock rightly identifies as major hurdles. The payments sector is currently under immense pressure to lower costs and increase speed, yet the fragmentation of standards remains a primary barrier. This initiative raises a critical question for the sector: can a practitioner-led group exert enough influence to harmonise global standards before private, closed-loop systems become the default for digital value transfer?