Business Forum • 12 December, 2024 at 4:52 PM
UNCHAIN Fintech Festival, the most prominent banking tech conference in Central and Eastern Europe, proudly announces its 4th edition, set to take place on June 19–20, 2025, in the well-established Fintech Fortress of Oradea, Romania. The event will continue to seamlessly merge business impact with an unmatched summer festival experience, delivering cutting-edge content and invaluable connections.
Building on three years of success, UNCHAIN enters a new growth phase with strengthened international partnerships. The strategic partnerships with LOT Airlines, Oradea Municipality, and Visa will boost the festival's direct flight connections across the CEE, enhancing its accessibility and impact, and making it a significant milestone for both UNCHAIN and the region.
"Strategic partnerships drive growth and are the cornerstone of innovation in fintech. Through trusted collaborations, we aim to cultivate an industry revolution over time. Our alliance with LOT Airlines, for example, simplifies travel for participants, offering direct flights connecting all CEE capitals via Warsaw, along with exclusive perks like business lounge access. Similarly, Visa's continuous partnership with UNCHAIN underscores their trust in the event, providing their international experts with a premier platform for learning, discovery, and innovation and turning them into genuine fintech ambassadors. Such initiatives embody our commitment to growing UNCHAIN into a truly transformative event, a vision made possible by a reinforced team focused on achieving even greater impact in the years ahead," said Alexandra Pollack, Founder & CEO of UNCHAIN.
A thriving network at the core
The strength of UNCHAIN lies in the network it creates and fosters. To enhance this, the UNCHAIN team consolidates by welcoming David Pollack, an expert in international projects development & financial markets, as a permanent member and growth driver. This renewed team will focus on expanding the community of business and industry advisors, ensuring a comprehensive representation of the region's diverse fintech landscape. Their mission remains steadfast: to unite the CEE fintech ecosystem, amplify its collective voice, and encourage business growth.
David Pollack, Head of Growth & International Development at UNCHAIN, remarked: “Next year marks a strategic leap for UNCHAIN. We're cementing the event's foundation with robust partnerships but also with an elite advisory network that spans all major CEE markets. I am excited about the influx of financial institutions, regulators, innovators, and startups who will enrich the event through their knowledge, ideas, and collaboration.”
UNCHAIN's role in regional fintech
As the benchmark for fintech and financial services events in the CEE, UNCHAIN is dedicated to driving regional innovation through cooperation, resource access, and elite networking.
Alexandru Chira, Director General at Visit Oradea, stated: "The success of the UNCHAIN Fintech Festival highlights not only the remarkable potential of Central and Eastern Europe's fintech ecosystem but also the importance of public sector involvement in driving innovation and collaboration. Events like this provide the economy with access to essential networking opportunities and relevant industry insights, fostering growth and development. Oradea is proud to play a pivotal role in creating the infrastructure necessary to support and nurture initiatives like UNCHAIN. Visit Oradea will continue working alongside the festival's extraordinary project team to bring together regional leaders from fintech, regulators, banks, startups, and academia. We remain committed to contribute to their vision of fostering a collaborative spirit that will resonate across Europe."
2025 Agenda highlights
The upcoming edition boasts an expanded agenda, with more enhanced targeting of content. The main stage will transform into a general assembly focused on policy and public sector topics, while the sub-stages will further deliver exceptional quality content.
- Digital Banking, with focus on the rise of neobanking and how AI implementations shape the financial ecosystem;
- Payments, with focus on Cross-Border and P2P (Peer-to-Peer) models;
- Regulation & Compliance, Security being the main topic of discussion in nowadays's changing digital landscape.
All this will be matched by a lively expo & networking area, enhancing visibility and improving connectivity for the partners
The organizers expect over 120 global speakers from 40 countries, with insights on emerging trends, plus participation from 700+ delegates and 350+ companies. With 70% representation from the financial sector, UNCHAIN is the definitive platform for impactful fintech dialogue.
Bankers, fintech creators and enthusiasts that want to meet global leaders, discover innovative solutions, and expand their network should seize the opportunity to join the most dynamic fintech event in the CEE. Immediate registrations will benefit from the Super Early Bird Offer — 750 EUR, meaning an exclusive 40% discount until January 31st.
UNCHAIN Festival is a premier event that unites the financial and tech sectors in the CEE region to foster collaboration and innovation. Set in the historic Oradea Fortress, the festival offers a platform for discussing emerging trends and challenges with the industry's biggest names.
All of this could not be possible without the foundational involvement of regional fintech innovators such as VISA, the event's Main Partner, together with Google Cloud and InfoCert as Technology Partners, Banca Comerciala Romana, Raiffeisen Bank and Banca Transilvania as Banking Partners. Event sponsors that support innovation throughout the CEE region are Citi Bank, Garanti Bank BBVA, SIBS Romania, Amazon Web Services, Evam, Finshape, Transfond, and CMS Cameron McKenna.