The Mojaloop Foundation is pleased to welcome the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) as one of the newest members of its Global Partner Program. GFTN joins an esteemed group of partners — including Finternet, Innovations for Poverty Action (IPS), Visa, AfricaNenda Foundation, Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF), FNA, Cenfri, and Modular Open Source Identity Platform (MOSIP) — all dedicated to advancing inclusive digital financial systems around the world.
We spoke with Kaitlyn Thinn, Director, Head of Strategy for GFTN, to learn more about the organization’s mission and how its collaboration with Mojaloop will help expand access to digital financial services globally.
A Platform for Purposeful Innovation
The Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) is an international platform that brings together financial institutions, regulators, technology innovators, and development partners to accelerate purposeful innovation across the financial sector.
“GFTN operates as a mission-driven network focused on building collaboration corridors, shaping responsible digital finance policy, and scaling technologies such as real-time payments, quantum computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and tokenization,” Thinn explained. “Our goal is to ensure that innovation translates into real economic outcomes — not just for advanced markets, but also for emerging and underserved regions like the global south.”
At its core, GFTN works to address a central challenge in global finance: millions remain excluded not because technology is unavailable, but because systems are fragmented and regulations are often siloed. GFTN acts as a bridge, connecting policymakers, central banks, FinTechs, and infrastructure providers to co-create practical solutions that expand inclusion.
Shared Goals: Bridging Innovation and Inclusion
For GFTN, joining the Mojaloop Foundation’s Global Partner Program was a natural next step. Both organizations share a vision of making digital financial services accessible to everyone — particularly those historically excluded from the formal financial system.
“GFTN’s mission is to bridge innovation, regulation, and capital to accelerate purposeful growth, and that aligns very closely with what the Mojaloop Foundation stands for,” said Thinn. “We’ve been fortunate to collaborate with the Mojaloop Foundation across Africa and Asia over the years, and this partnership allows us to move from policy dialogue to infrastructure delivery.”
Through this collaboration, GFTN aims to help more global organizations leverage Mojaloop’s open-source technologies to enable real-time payments and broader access to inclusive financial systems. “This partnership reinforces our shared commitment to building the foundational infrastructure that helps digital payments reach underserved populations,” Thinn noted.
Turning Vision into Practice
Mojaloop has been an active participant in GFTN organized events, particularly the Inclusive Finance Forum. Through the Global Partner Program, GFTN plans to expand that to deeper engagement in other events for the broader Mojaloop community but also incorporating the Mojaloop platform into other organizational streams.
“With this new partnership, we’re eager to work closely with the Mojaloop Foundation to help global institutions leverage its open-source technologies to promote inclusion,” Thinn said.
GFTN’s role as a convener gives it a unique perspective on how to connect financial and technological stakeholders — from regulators to FinTechs — to deliver meaningful change. This aligns with the Mojaloop Foundation’s focus on interoperability and collaboration, key principles for enabling instant, secure, and low-cost digital transactions across borders.
A Collaborative Approach to Digital Transformation
When asked what advice she would give to organizations exploring digital financial solutions, Thinn emphasized that technology alone is not enough.
“Emerging technologies such as digital payments, tokenization, AI-driven financial tools, and cross-border platforms have transformed the financial landscape,” she said. “But the sector remains fragmented — regulations differ, systems don’t always interoperate, and access to credible innovation partners is limited.”
This is where GFTN plays a catalytic role. By convening regulators, incumbents, and technology providers to co-develop solutions rather than work in isolation, GFTN helps reduce duplication and ensure innovations can scale beyond borders.
“Connecting emerging and developed markets through our global network allows solutions to move faster and reach further,” Thinn explained. “That’s how we can ensure the benefits of digital transformation are shared widely — not just within advanced economies, but in every market.”
Trends Shaping the Future of Payments
Thinn sees the payments landscape undergoing a profound transformation, one defined by speed, interoperability, and the blending of physical and digital value.
“Globally, we’re seeing a major shift toward real-time payment systems, driven by the demand for instant settlement,” she said. “At the same time, modernizing cross-border payments has become a global priority — policymakers are focusing on interoperability, lower costs, and faster remittances.”
She also pointed to the rise of tokenized money — including stablecoins, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and tokenized deposits — as a sign of where the industry is headed. “Ultimately, people want payments to be instant, seamless, borderless, and secure. The industry needs to move synergistically to make that vision a reality.”
Looking Ahead: Collaboration in 2026 and Beyond
GFTN and the Mojaloop Foundation are already looking ahead to shared initiatives in 2026. GFTN plans to work with the Mojaloop Foundation at the Inclusive FinTech Festival in Rwanda, the Singapore FinTech Festival, and the Insights Forum in Singapore. The organizations also plan to collaborate on advisory engagements with governments across Africa and Asia, advancing real-time payments for all segments of society.
“We’re excited about this partnership because it connects our strengths — Mojaloop’s open-source infrastructure and GFTN’s collaborative platforms — to make financial inclusion real at scale,” Thinn said.
