Why Every Creator Will Eventually Need A Payment Handle

The internet already runs on usernames

The modern internet already operates through identity.

People remember:

• Instagram handles

• TikTok usernames

• X profiles

• YouTube channels

• Discord names

• Twitch identities

Online participation increasingly revolves around:

• handles

• profiles

• usernames

• digital identity

But payments still often rely on:

• account numbers

• sort codes

• routing numbers

• IBANs

• banking details

That mismatch is becoming increasingly obvious.

The internet evolved around identity. Payments still largely evolved around banking infrastructure.

The creator economy changed what a business looks like

The creator economy fundamentally changed economic participation.

Millions of people increasingly operate as:

• one-person businesses

• online educators

• subscription creators

• digital sellers

• remote freelancers

• internet-native entrepreneurs

A creator profile increasingly became:

• a storefront

• a brand

• a communication layer

• a customer acquisition layer

• a business identity

But payment infrastructure often still feels disconnected from how creators actually operate online.

Creators increasingly operate globally by default

A creator in Lagos can build an audience in London.

A freelancer in Manila can work with clients in Dubai.

An educator in São Paulo can sell digital products internationally.

The internet already made audiences global.

Payments often still remain fragmented across:

• countries

• currencies

• banking rails

• wallet ecosystems

• regional systems

That fragmentation becomes increasingly awkward in an internet-native economy built around identity and portability.

“Creators increasingly operate like global businesses while payments still often operate like localized banking systems.”

Why payment handles are simpler

People already understand handles intuitively.

They are:

• easy to remember

• easy to share

• portable

• social-first

• internet-native

A payment handle increasingly fits naturally into:

• social profiles

• creator bios

• QR participation

• digital storefronts

• online communities

The strongest modern payment systems increasingly revolve around:

• identity-based interaction

• wallet-first participation

• portable participation

• mobile-first usability

• instant interaction

Handles increasingly feel more aligned with how the internet already works.

The future increasingly revolves around portable identity