Where real-time global conversation meets AI innovation

X is where markets move, culture sparks, and finance talks - with AI turning real-time signals into actionable insights for advertisers and users. Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X, shares more on AI innovation at X.

How would you describe X’s current role in the global digital landscape?

X is the global town square. We’ve evolved to become the go-to platform for breaking news, sports, finance, entertainment, culture, and other trending topics. In Europe, we see overlapping fandoms that transcend generational and geographic boundaries. We work hard to maintain our edge as a raw, unfiltered platform that addresses the most important local issues and global trends in real-time. 

What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for X in Europe?

Supporting a platform with around half a billion users that spans dozens of countries, multiple languages, cultures, and customs is a complex balancing act. This forces us to innovate to meet the needs of a diverse range of users and advertisers. The goal is to offer a dynamic portfolio of features and benefits for a growing user base. 

Can you tell me more about the conversation around Finance on the platform?

Finance moves fast, and so do the conversations that shape it. X’s audience is growing, now reaching around half a billion of the world’s most influential and financially engaged individuals. With a 3% global increase and 1% growth in the Netherlands, X remains the go-to platform for high-value consumers, business decision-makers, and finance-savvy audiences looking to stay informed and take action.

Financial conversations on X are not just happening—they’re thriving. In 2024 alone, we saw 812 billion impressions, 28 billion video views, and 2.7 billion posts from 159 million unique authors discussing business and finance. 

This isn't passive engagement—X fosters real financial decision-making, making it the prime space for brands looking to reach an audience actively investing, learning, and influencing the market.

We’re also edging closer towards launching X Money in the US, which will be a real game-changer for the industry.

Can you tell us more about the demographics of those who take part in this conversation?

The finance conversation on X is driven by a young, influential audience, with 64% of discussions coming from users under 35. (X Insights)

The largest segment—25 to 34-year-olds—represents the most engaged demographic, particularly in the UK. You can connect with the next generation of financially savvy consumers and decision-makers through X's high-value audience.

X also attracts an affluent audience. 38% of users in the high-income bracket—higher than other platforms. Nearly all users have some form of savings or investments, with cash savings, stocks, and crypto among the most popular proving the impact of X's high-value audience. (GWI Core)

Gen Z is an audience that people are very interested in learning more about; how do they consume and engage with content on X?

65 million Gen Z users are engaged in finance on X, and nearly a third are already high-income. They expect relevance, authenticity, and speed-of-velocity answers. (X Insights & GWI Core)

What are the future plans for X?

We are driving to the moment where our users can live even more of their digital lives on X. People come to X when news breaks to be informed, to share their ideas and views, to hear from like-minded people, and to be challenged by different viewpoints, and to enjoy incredible original content - all in real time. They stay on X for all the additional benefits that are driven by our industry-leading AI capabilities and product innovation.

There have been hundreds of new products and features launched on X, with more being tested and released all the time. Just to mention a few - X Premium, Community Notes, Privatised Likes, Longform posts, Vertical Video, Audio Calls, Video Calling, Encrypted DMs, Subscriptions, and X Originals. Each one on its own represents intense levels of effort around design, development, and innovation. Each new feature increases utility and functionality for users on X. 

And following xAI’s acquisition of X earlier this year, X is now more powerful than ever before, with the integration of Grok, our industry-leading AI tool. In turn, Grok’s integration with X combines X’s billions of interactions - raw, real-time information about what people are doing, thinking, feeling, and seeing, which is creating a smarter, faster, and more capable AI, and ultimately the potential to be the most accurate tool for predicting how people will respond and engage.

For X users, Grok powers more personalised experiences on X and enhances the quality of their time spent on our platform. And the new release of Grok 4 is enabling them to be more creative than ever, with only their own imagination limiting the possibilities!

We are already leveraging the power of AI and Grok for advertisers with the development of improved targeting capabilities, user interfaces, innovative products like Trend Genius - a tool that serves relevant creative during relevant real-time conversations and audience recommendations - and of course, significant investment in transparency and brand safety.

About author

Federico Paderni is Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe, responsible for the development of X (aka Twitter) in Southern Europe markets (Spain, Italy), Northern Europe (The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden), Israel, and Central and Eastern Europe. With over 20 years of experience in the tech industry, before X, Federico worked in sales, marketing, and operations at LinkedIn and Microsoft. 

 

 

About X

X, together with xAI, is building the Group Chat of Earth - a trusted public town square where culture, commerce, and conversation come together. Powered by advanced AI, the platform is steadily evolving into the ultimate Everything App. By connecting people, communities, and businesses, X creates new opportunities for exchange and innovation, positioning itself as a dynamic digital destination where global ideas and economic growth converge in real time.