Oradea, Romania, 15.04.2026
This summer, Oradea Fortress will host the 5th edition of UNCHAIN Festival (on 17–18 June 2026), a high-level finance summit bringing together over 800 senior leaders and decision-makers from more than 40 countries, including financial institutions, regulators, technology providers, and industry leaders.
Marking its anniversary edition as the premier summit of CEE, UNCHAIN Festival 2026 is honoured to welcome as Keynote Speaker Prof. Marek Belka, former Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Poland, a leading voice at the intersection of economics and public policy, and an economist with a distinguished career spanning academia, government, and international institutions. Over the course of his career, he has held a series of influential international roles, including Head of Economic Policy in Iraq’s Coalition Provisional Authority, Executive Secretary of the UNECE, and Director of the European Department at the IMF, before going on to serve as President of the National Bank of Poland and later as a Member of the European Parliament.
He will be joined by prominent officials and central bank governors from across Central and Eastern Europe, as well as key decision-makers from private and international financial institutions, including the European Commission, the European Banking Authority, and regulatory bodies from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Moldova, and the Czech Republic.
By fostering high-level dialogue and cross-border collaboration on the most pressing issues shaping the future of finance in the region, the UNCHAIN Festival reinforces its position as the premier summit for decision-makers in banking, fintech, insurance, and technology across Central and Eastern Europe.
The agenda will address key topics including the digital euro (Europe’s upcoming CBDC aimed at modernising payments and preserving monetary sovereignty), the European Unique Identifier (EUID) for streamlined cross-border KYC and verification, cybersecurity and operational resilience under DORA, AI governance and its responsible applications in banking, instant payments (SEPA SCT Inst), asset tokenisation using DLT to enhance capital market efficiency, and the evolving open finance framework under PSD3 to drive innovation and competition.
A dedicated section of the UNCHAIN Festival will spotlight the region’s most dynamic ecosystems, showcasing top disruptors and innovative companies driving transformation across financial services. This initiative is designed to give early-stage and stage disruptors a prominent platform to present regional business opportunities, innovation frameworks, and cutting-edge solutions poised to redefine the financial landscape.
Applications are open until May 15th via https://unchainfestival.com/startups/ inviting the most ambitious innovators to step forward and take part in shaping the future of finance on a regional stage.
Under this initiative, a carefully selected group of companies representing countries from across Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltics will take the stage to share their national perspectives on the future of finance and the disruptive technologies shaping the industry.
“UNCHAIN Festival was created as a platform for meaningful dialogue among financial industry leaders, and the 2026 edition marks a significant step in shaping the future of finance in the region. With our new initiative spotlighting top disruptors from across CEE and the Baltics, we aim to elevate national perspectives and connect ecosystems that can collaborate to accelerate innovation,” said Alexandra Pollack, Founder and CEO at UNCHAIN.
Continuing its annual tradition, UNCHAIN Festival 2026 will recognize excellence in financial services and technology, presenting awards to the most outstanding disruptors and innovators from Central and Eastern Europe.
All of this is made possible thanks to the essential support of key players in the fintech ecosystem, such as Visa—the event’s Main Partner—along with Raiffeisen Bank Romania, BRD Groupe Société Générale, and Banca Transilvania as Banking Partners, Payten Romania as Gold Partner. The event’s sponsors, who support innovation in the CEE region, are Garanti BBVA, fme Romania, SurePay, Worldline, Profile Software, Axe Finance, TSYS, Finshape, Namirial, CMS Cameron McKenna, and VeritaHR.
CEE finance leaders return to the UNCHAIN Festival each year. Early Bird tickets offering a 30% discount are available at https://unchainfestival.com/tickets/for a limited period of time until April 22nd. Prices will increase after this date.
Prof. Marek Belka – Biography
Prof. Marek Belka (1952) is an economist with a distinguished career in academia, government, and international institutions. He has been affiliated with the Faculty of Economics and Sociology at the University of Łódź for most of his career and has held research fellowships at Columbia University, the University of Chicago, and the London School of Economics.
He twice served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (1997; 2001–2002) and was Prime Minister of Poland from 2004 to 2005. His international roles include leading economic policy in Iraq’s Coalition Provisional Authority (2003–2004), serving as Executive Secretary of UNECE (2006–2008), and heading the European Department at the IMF (2008–2010). He was President of the National Bank of Poland (2010–2016) and a Member of the European Parliament (2019–2024).
In 2024, he was appointed Chair of the Audit Board of the Ukraine Facility, overseeing financial support for Ukraine’s recovery.
About UNCHAIN Festival
UNCHAIN Festival is the leading finance and technology summit in Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2022, it has connected banks, fintechs, regulators, and industry leaders in Oradea, Romania, fostering cross-industry collaboration and turning emerging trends into actionable strategies for regional growth and resilience.
source: Unchain 2026
