UNCHAIN 2025 Festival highlights report

This article is an extended version of the event Press Release, capturing the bold ideas, strategic announcements, and industry-shaping conversations that defined UNCHAIN 2025 — a festival where finance met purpose, and innovation crossed borders.

THE SUMMER FINANCE FESTIVAL – AN UNIQUE EXPERIENCE & CUTTING EDGE RELEVANCE

UNCHAIN is more than a fintech event—it’s a space where decision-makers from across Central and Eastern Europe come together in a relaxed, open atmosphere to spark meaningful interaction and lasting connections. Set against a vibrant summer festival backdrop, UNCHAIN blends serious ideas with genuine human connection, creating a space where borders fade and collaborations take the center stage. As one international delegate put it, “Everyone says their event is relaxed and relevant. UNCHAIN actually delivers that rare mix of serious ideas and genuine connections.” The festival’s mission is clear: to interconnect the region’s finance leaders, foster authentic exchange, and turn conversations into action. With its unique blend of purpose and personality, UNCHAIN has become the most relevant fintech gathering in the CEE—and will be coming back in 2026 with even more practical insights, new partnerships, and the same spirit: authentic, connected, and ready for what’s next.

THE FUTURE OF FINANCE, IN FULL FLOW

The key topics at UNCHAIN were as dynamic as the people in the room—over 60 sessions packed with fresh ideas, future-thinking strategies, and real-world solutions. From game-changing tech to bold regulatory conversations, the agenda left no stone unturned. As Andrew Samu, Editor at Disruption Banking and Host of UNCHAIN put it:

“Key trends like artificial intelligence and instant payments were high on the agenda, but speakers were not shy to discuss topics like how long a digital euro might take to be released, or the current stable coin and wider crypto discussion. It’s important to note that Central Eastern Europe is evolving differently to other regions around the world—instant payments are already in place in many countries. The challenge the banking and fintech sectors face is about what the next iteration of fintech solutions might look like.”

Catalin Cretu, General Manager for Romania, Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria at Visa added: “Visa was pleased to join industry leaders and partners at UNCHAIN Festival, a premier event shaping the future of finance in Central and Eastern Europe. UNCHAIN once again demonstrated its strength as a powerful platform for shaping the future of finance, facilitating meaningful dialogue with clients, partners, regulators, and digital innovators. This year’s discussions—ranging from AI in banking and neobanking to embedded finance and cross-sector transformation—highlighted the dynamic evolution of our industry.

As a committed strategic partner since the festival’s inception, Visa supports UNCHAIN’s vision of fostering regional resilience, bridging traditional and emerging financial sectors, and accelerating market growth. We look forward to continued collaboration as we build a more connected and innovative financial ecosystem across the region”

NEXT-GEN PAYMENTS ADVANCING & OPENING-UP OPPORTUNITIES

UNCHAIN’s payments track burst with energy and innovation, reflecting the CEE region’s bold momentum in instant payments and financial infrastructure development. From real-time rails to orchestration platforms, the conversation was rooted in how to build a seamless, scalable future across fragmented markets—and how collaboration is the key to unlocking it.

One of the major highlights was BLIK’s expansion into Romania—a proven Polish success story now taking its real-time mobile payment solution across borders. With BLIK already widely adopted in Poland, its move into Romania showcased how homegrown innovation can scale regionally. By enabling users to pay instantly via mobile, even without a physical card, BLIK is delivering convenience, security, and a highly localized digital experience tailored to the needs of modern consumers and merchants. It’s a big step forward in interconnecting the region’s payment ecosystems and bringing practical, proven solutions to new markets.

Visa Direct also took the spotlight, demonstrating how push payment capabilities are modernizing the way money moves—between people, across platforms, and even across borders. As a key enabler of real-time transactions, Visa Direct is helping fintechs and financial institutions in CEE tap into faster, more transparent money movement, unlocking new business models and customer experiences along the way.

Meanwhile, Payten Romania, Worldline, and SIBS Romania—three of the region’s most impactful infrastructure and processing players—brought forward tangible, future-ready solutions in payment orchestration, embedded finance, and acquiring. SIBS Romania mentioned its advanced POS-sharing model, a smart solution designed to reduce hardware duplication and operational friction for merchants—especially relevant in multi-brand retail environments. This innovation not only improves the customer checkout experience but also supports a more efficient and sustainable payment infrastructure across markets.

Worldline shared its vision for the future of payments in CEE, centered around building open, secure, and interoperable systems that adapt to the region’s unique needs. From enabling next-gen digital wallets to offering flexible acquiring models, Worldline emphasized its role in shaping a future where innovation is not limited by borders, and every transaction becomes smarter, faster, and more human-centered.

Payten Romania, meanwhile, showcased the success of its collaboration with Auchan, delivering streamlined and robust orchestration of in-store and online payments. This partnership demonstrated how integrated solutions can drive both efficiency and customer satisfaction at scale, creating a seamless ecosystem from checkout to settlement.

Together, these partners are not just keeping up with change—they’re driving it. Their presence at UNCHAIN highlighted a shared commitment to building a unified, agile, and interoperable payments landscape that supports innovation across industries, markets, and regulatory frameworks throughout the CEE. From seamless consumer journeys to scalable infrastructure and game-changing partnerships, the payments sessions at UNCHAIN proved one thing above all: in CEE, the future of money is already in motion—and only gaining speed.

CRACKING THE NUT OF LENDING TECH

Lending at UNCHAIN was anything but traditional. Across sessions, speakers explored how lending is being reimagined through embedded finance, BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) models, and smarter credit decisioning powered by open data and AI. A key theme was how POS systems and online marketplaces are no longer just transaction points—they’re fast becoming distribution channels for financial products. From microloans to merchant financing, these platforms now act as both service touchpoints and lead generators, creating a bridge between new-age fintech and established banking institutions.

Big announcements reinforced this shift—most notably the launch of a cooperative partnership between Global Payments Europe, Lendox and Visa designed to streamline access to SME lending. It represents a powerful move to digitize credit distribution and support business growth at scale, particularly in underserved markets across CEE.

“By combining the power of Lendox’s credit intelligence engine, the cards and  payments infrastructure of Global Payments Europe, and the global reach of Visa’s rails, a new horizon is emerging, one where supply chains are unlocked through an  innovative, invisible, Embedded SME lending. This is not just about AI and technology—it’s about inclusion at scale. The strategic partnership stands as proof of how fintech and large financial institutions can collaborate in order to solve  the huge problem of SMEs financial inclusions“. states Cosmin Curticapean, CEO of Lendox.

The spirit of innovation also shone through in the UNCHAIN Startup Tournament, where Mifundo took the top prize. Their cross-border lending platform addresses a key regional challenge: serving individuals with multi-country lives. As Mifundo’s CEO shared on stage, millions of Eastern Europeans working abroad struggle to access fair credit when they return home due to fragmented credit histories. By integrating data from over 70% of Europe’s credit bureaus, Mifundo enables local banks to make responsible, inclusive lending decisions and offer returning citizens the same conditions as domestic clients. It’s a win-win for financial inclusion and bank growth.

“There has been notable progress in the modernization and digitalization of financial services in recent years. However, there is still room for innovation, and cross-border lending remains a key area of opportunity. We estimate that around 45 million Europeans will apply for a loan in a country different from the one where they’ve built their credit history. Keep in mind that, according to Eurostat, 1.5 million Europeans move to a different EU country each year.” states Alex Blay, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Mifundo.

At UNCHAIN, lending wasn’t just about capital—it was about access, identity, and creating seamless pathways for financial empowerment in a fast-moving, mobile world.

FROM LEGACY TO LIGHTNING-SPEED: CLOUD, AI & THE DIGITAL BANKING LEAP

 This was where the sparks really flew. The Digital Transformation track at UNCHAIN wasn’t just about buzzwords—it spotlighted how institutions across CEE are trading old systems for fast, flexible, and future-ready infrastructure. From cloud-native platforms and AI-powered services to digital identity and EUDI wallets, the sessions brought together some of the sharpest minds reshaping finance’s digital backbone.

Leading the way, Raiffeisen Bank shared its bold leap into the cloud with Amazon Web Services (AWS), illustrating how major institutions can unlock agility, scalability, and innovation when they leave legacy behind. Garanti Bank introduced us to GIA, its AI-powered virtual advisor, which delivers 24/7 personalized assistance and exemplifies the growing role of conversational AI in modern banking. And Banca Transilvania showcased together with Finshape how BT GO is setting new standards for mobile banking—offering speed, simplicity, and smart services for millions of users. Their trailblazing progress was rightly honored during the event with the CEE Digital Bank of the Year Award 2025, powered by Visa—a well-earned recognition for Banca Transilvania’s leadership in redefining what a full-service digital bank of the future looks like.

A remarkable spirit of innovation was echoed in a panel featuring BRD Groupe Société Générale, Payten Romania, Visa, Symphopay, and Transfond, which explored how real-time technologies and smarter liquidity tools are transforming corporate payments. The session underscored the growing importance of agile infrastructure and digital-first cash management in helping businesses stay efficient, competitive, and connected across channels.

A standout panel featuring IBM and IT Smart Systems zoomed in on the data-driven foundations of transformation—covering data governance, lineage, trust, and AI transparency. Experts emphasized that robust architecture and clear data ownership are now just as crucial as the front-end experiences. Building trust in data—from source to decision-making—emerged as a critical factor in accelerating innovation responsibly. It was a clear reminder: behind every great digital leap is a rock-solid data strategy.