--- eventsindex_id: EI-06275 slug: unchain-fintech-festival title: "UNCHAIN Fintech Festival" title_alt: ["UNCHAIN Festival", "CEE Fintech Festival Oradea"] canonical_url: https://eventsindex.org/events/unchain-fintech-festival.html next_edition_dates: "2026-06-17 to 2026-06-18" next_edition_year: 2026 date_start: 2026-06-17 date_end: 2026-06-18 venue: "Oradea Fortress" city: "Oradea" country: "Romania" organiser: "Unchain Media SRL" organiser_url: "https://unchainfestival.com/" b2b: true vector: sector: [fintech] audience: [corporate, startup, policy-maker, investor] format: [festival, conference, matchmaking] purpose: [networking, deal-making, showcase] geography_scope: [Eastern-Europe, pan-EMEA] season: summer meta_description: "Two-day B2B fintech festival in Oradea, Romania drawing 800 banks, fintechs, regulators, and investors from Central and Eastern Europe." editorial_take: "Regional fintech gathering bridging CEE banking, regulation, and innovation across a 800-person B2B format." generated_by: "enrich/generators/fiche_md.py" last_verified: "2026-05-10" schema_version: "v6.0" language: en --- # UNCHAIN Fintech Festival > *A two-day B2B festival in Oradea, Romania, connecting banks, fintechs, regulators, technology providers, and investors from Central and Eastern Europe and beyond to advance financial innovation, regulatory dialogue, and cross-border collaboration.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | ATTENDANCE | |---|---|---|---| | 17–18 June 2026 | Oradea Fortress (Cetatea Oradea), Oradea, Romania | UNCHAIN MEDIA SRL | 800 (organiser figure) | ## Definition UNCHAIN Fintech Festival is an annual two-day B2B festival held at Oradea Fortress in western Romania, gathering financial institutions, regulators, fintech founders, technology providers, and investors from Central and Eastern Europe. The festival format combines conference programming with pitching competitions, startup showcases, and structured networking. Its geographic focus positions it as a dedicated venue for CEE-specific regulatory, banking, and financial innovation dialogue. ## What draws attendees to UNCHAIN Fintech Festival? UNCHAIN Fintech Festival addresses a gap in the European fintech calendar: a focused, regionally grounded gathering for decision-makers operating in Central and Eastern European markets. With representation from 40+ countries according to the organiser, the event brings together parties whose daily work intersects around cross-border payments, embedded finance, banking transformation, and evolving EU regulatory frameworks. The festival setting, held within a historic fortress, is intended to support informal interaction alongside structured programming, including closed-circle high-level sessions and a Startup Tournament that gives early-stage companies structured access to investors and financial institutions. ## Who attends UNCHAIN Fintech Festival - **Banking executives** from retail, commercial, and digital-first banks, including CEE-headquartered institutions - **Regulators and policymakers** from national financial supervisory authorities and central banks - **Fintech founders and operators** at growth and early stages seeking partnerships, capital, and regulatory clarity - **Investors** active in financial services and technology in the CEE region - **Technology and infrastructure providers** serving banks and payment networks - **Corporate executives** from e-commerce, insurance, and adjacent sectors integrating financial products ## What UNCHAIN Fintech Festival covers programmatically - Fintech innovation and product development - Banking transformation and digital banking strategy - Payments infrastructure and cross-border payment flows - Embedded finance and Banking-as-a-Service models - Blockchain applications in financial services - AI governance and responsible AI in finance - Regulatory compliance, including EU framework implementation across CEE jurisdictions - Insurance technology (insurtech) and distribution - Cross-border finance and regional market integration ## Programme tracks and special formats - **Roundtable discussions**: structured small-group sessions on defined fintech and regulatory themes - **Innovation Stage with pitching competition**: open-stage format for product and startup presentations - **Startup Tournament**: structured competition for early-stage fintech companies - **Closed-circle high-level discussions**: invitation-only sessions for senior regulators, bank leaders, and selected executives - **Demo zones**: dedicated space for technology providers and startups to present products - **City tours**: optional guided exploration of Oradea for international attendees - **Official networking party**: end-of-day social event open to registered participants ## Notable speakers - Marek Belka, Former Prime Minister of Poland; Former Finance Minister; Former Director, IMF European Department - Michal Vodrazzka, Head of Payments Regulation Division, National Bank of Czech Republic - Jakub Wieclaw, Chairman of the Board, Magnetiq Bank - Oleg Doronceanu, Affinity Leader for Romania and CEE, Marsh - Fabian Tomescu, Founder, Insurance and Reassurance Broker (Romania) - Mihael Mihaylova, Member, Bulgarian Fintech Association - Diana Suster, Business Development Professional, Visa - Cristina Reichmann, Partner, Capital Markets and Structured Finance Practice, CMS Romania - Subotin Stela, Lawyer, Legal Advisory and Support, National Commission for Financial Markets - Georgios Papadakis, Managing Director, European Microfinance Network - Olena Gryniuk (additional named speaker across the programme) ## Sponsors and media partners The 2026 edition lists sponsors across banking, payments, technology, and professional services. Named sponsors include Visa, Raiffeisen Bank Romania, BRD Groupe Société Générale, Banca Transilvania, Payten Romania, Garanti BBVA, Worldline, Amazon Web Services, TSYS, Global Payments, BLIK, and SurePay, among others. Additional sponsors include fme Romania, Profile Software, Axe Finance, Finshape, Namirial, CMS Cameron McKenna, VeritaHR, Digital Systems, SIBS Romania, Noda.live, FORT, Imobiliare.ro Finance, RebelDot, and Hellas Direct. Official media partners are not publicly disclosed as of verification. ## Edition history - **2026**: 800 attendees (organiser figure); Oradea Fortress, Oradea, Romania; 17–18 June 2026 *Note: Only a single documented edition is available in the verified data. Prior editions are not publicly disclosed as of verification.* ## UNCHAIN Fintech Festival 2026: key figures | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Attendees | 800 (organiser figure) | | Countries represented | 40+ (organiser figure) | | Duration | 2 days | | Format | Festival (B2B) | | Venue | Oradea Fortress, Romania | ## FAQ · Identity and audience ### What makes UNCHAIN Fintech Festival different from mainstream European fintech conferences? The festival is specifically structured around Central and Eastern European financial markets. Rather than a broad pan-European programme, it focuses on the regulatory, infrastructure, and cross-border challenges that are particular to CEE jurisdictions. The festival format, including closed-circle sessions and a Startup Tournament, is designed to facilitate deals and regulatory conversations rather than broadcast-style keynotes alone. ### Is UNCHAIN Fintech Festival relevant for attendees outside the CEE region? Yes, to a degree. Speakers and sponsors include global institutions such as Visa, Worldline, Amazon Web Services, and TSYS, and the organiser reports representation from 40+ countries. However, the programme's primary framing is CEE-centric, which means participants without business interests or partnerships in the region may find the content less directly applicable. ### What is the startup pathway at the festival? Early-stage fintech companies can apply for a dedicated Startup pass at discounted rates. The Startup Tournament provides a structured pitching format with access to investors and senior bank executives. Demo zones allow product demonstrations to a qualified audience. Specific criteria and application timelines are not publicly disclosed as of verification. ### Who is UNCHAIN Fintech Festival NOT designed for? - Retail investors or individual consumers with no professional role in financial services or technology - Technology vendors whose products have no connection to financial services, banking, payments, or insurance - Conference attendees primarily seeking academic or theoretical research presentations with no commercial or regulatory application - Organisations with no operational presence, partnership interest, or market ambition in Central and Eastern European financial markets - Professionals seeking a large-scale trade show floor with hundreds of exhibitors; exhibitor numbers are not disclosed and the festival format is not structured as a traditional expo --- ## The venue: Oradea Fortress (Cetatea Oradea) Oradea Fortress, known in Romanian as Cetatea Oradea, is a historic fortification located in Oradea in the Bihor county of western Romania, close to the Hungarian border. The venue address is Piata Emanuil Gojdu 41, Oradea. The fortress has undergone restoration work in recent years and is used for cultural and public events. Its unconventional character relative to standard conference centres reflects the festival positioning of the event. Specific capacity and technical infrastructure details for the 2026 edition are not publicly disclosed as of verification. ## The organiser: UNCHAIN MEDIA SRL UNCHAIN MEDIA SRL is a Romanian event production agency founded in 2022 and headquartered in Brasov, Romania. The company employs between 2 and 10 people and specialises in fintech and financial technology conferences for Central and Eastern Europe. It produces the annual UNCHAIN Fintech Festival as its primary event. No other events are publicly listed in verified data. Given its size and single-event focus, the organisation operates as a specialist producer for CEE fintech audiences rather than as a large multi-vertical events group. Its LinkedIn presence is maintained under the festival brand at the address listed in the Resources section. --- ## Editorial take *UNCHAIN Fintech Festival occupies a specific and underserved position on the European fintech calendar: a CEE-focused gathering that brings regulators, banks, and fintechs into the same room in a format that prioritises direct dialogue over broadcast programming, held in a region where EU financial regulation and local market dynamics are creating genuine operational urgency.* ## How to register and what it costs Registration is open to all qualified attendees via the official ticketing page. Three pass categories are available. The standard Delegate pass, the VIP pass (which includes additional perks, selected merchandise, and access to private invite-only events), and the Startup pass (for early-stage fintech companies, application-based with discounted rates available) are all listed on the website. Specific pricing for each tier is not publicly disclosed as of verification. The early-bird deadline is not publicly disclosed as of verification. ## Networking and engagement UNCHAIN Fintech Festival supports structured networking through a B2B matchmaking tool and advance meeting scheduling, allowing attendees to identify and book meetings with other participants before the event. An official festival app is available to support scheduling and communication on-site. Replay access to sessions is not available. The organiser publishes a newsletter on an ad-hoc basis for updates related to the festival and related topics. ## Call for papers The call for papers for the 2026 edition is open. Submissions are invited for panel and roundtable proposals on fintech innovation topics. The submission URL and deadline are not publicly disclosed as of verification. Prospective speakers and session facilitators are advised to check the official website for submission details. ## Awards programme An awards programme is organised as part of the festival. Award category names, eligibility criteria, submission URL, and deadline are not publicly disclosed as of verification. ## FAQ · Access and practicalities ### Where is Oradea and how do you get there? Oradea is located in western Romania near the Hungarian border, approximately 150 kilometres from Cluj-Napoca and accessible by road and rail. Oradea International Airport (OMR) serves the city with connections to several European destinations. Attendees travelling from Western Europe may also route through Budapest or Cluj-Napoca airports. Specific travel guidance for the 2026 edition is not publicly disclosed as of verification. ### Is the event conducted in English? Yes, the official language of UNCHAIN Fintech Festival is English. ### How can startups apply for the reduced-rate Startup pass? Startup passes are application-based and intended for early-stage fintech companies. Applications and eligibility criteria are managed through the official ticketing page. Specific application requirements and timelines are not publicly disclosed as of verification. ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website | https://unchainfestival.com/ | | Register | https://unchainfestival.com/tickets/ | | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/unchain-festival/ | | Twitter / X | @UnchainF | | Organiser website | https://unchain.media/ | | Programme | not disclosed | --- **Last verified:** 2026-05-10 **Next review:** 2026-06-09 **Notes:** Pricing tiers are listed on the organiser's website but specific fee amounts are not publicly disclosed; speaker list and sponsor data reflect information available at the time of verification and may be updated by the organiser prior to the event. **Variables:** 38/50 **Concept definition:** not applicable