2020, we are over: here’s my new (payments promising) year

As Serge Gainsbourg says in one of my favourite songs, ‘Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais’ . Or as the English would say ‘I am coming to tell you that we are over’. Don’t get me wrong- you surely gave me a thrill of a lifetime in the payments field. That really meant a lot to a payment geek like me.

The beginning of our relationship was very promising. Right at the start of the year, we saw Visa stepping out of its traditional card space, when when acquiring Plaid for twice its final private valuation. You entertained me all summer long with the Wirecard scandal. In fact, our honeymoon period carried on until fall. You finally got me watching the big techs entering the banking arena for real. You made banks become digital and seriously consider partnering with some of my favourite companies ever – FORM3, ThoughtMachine, Google, Microsoft… just to name a few. You also welcomed new players in the clearing and settlement space (the back, back, back end of the payment processing step), like RTGS Global. As Chris Skinner said, you delivered 2030 and as such you really demonstrated your commitment to our relationship.

However, let’s face it. You were a bit toxic too. You invaded my body with a new virus, so-called Coronavirus, without any warnings. You locked me down with my super lively, under-3-year-old little monsters (yes, with an s) who were more than happy to run around the house off limits… Why would you do that to me?! You took away some of the most brilliant minds that ever existed like Ruth Bader Ginsburg or innocent souls like George Floyd.

You can now understand that it is time for me to step out. Luckily for me, I have just met 2021. We are still getting to know each other but I can already sense great potential and the exciting, yet, full of freedom companionship that I have been looking for. I HATE imagining how our relationship could unfold as I love surprises. I want you to understand that there will be no second chance for us so you may as well know about some of the things that I believe 2021 will bring to the table:

1. New methods of payments that will make my bag less heavy, like a digital coin a QR code to flash.

2. An alternative way of personal identification, so that I don’t need to feel ashamed when someone needs to check my passport. (Seriously, who can look glamourous when looking straight, not smiling, hair tucked behind their ear?!)

3. More neobanks in different regions, with new innovative services that will be borrowed from their European counterparts, making my financial life so much easier in ways I can’t even think of. (Ok, yes, I am counting on Alexa finally being able to understand my French accent and sharing the best insurance deals with me).

4. Disruptions in the financial technology space, with new and incomparably cheaper banking systems that gave 1.7 billion of unbanked people access to financial services. (Yes, Bill Gates got me seriously believing at the Singapore Fintech Festival)

5. And lastly, becoming rich… if I can get a ‘digital hold’ of a bitcoin.

So, 2020, it has been a nice ride, but now I am fully committed to 2021 and more excited about the future than ever. But don’t worry, we can still be friends.