On June 17–18, 2025, the historic Oradea Fortress transformed into a vibrant hub of financial innovation, hosting the fourth edition of UNCHAIN Festival—an event uniting fintechs, banks, insurers, payment providers, regulators, startups, investors, and tech leaders from across Central and Eastern Europe.
Alexandra Pollack, Founder & CEO of UNCHAIN, captured the spirit of the event:
“This year made it clear: the future of finance in CEE will be shaped not by individual players, but by ecosystems. Trust, speed, and shared purpose are the new infrastructure.”
Staying true to its mission, UNCHAIN 2025 fostered authentic exchange, regional collaboration, and actionable insights. With its unique blend of purpose and personality, the festival has solidified its position as the most relevant fintech gathering in the CEE region—and it’s already set to return in 2026 with even more practical insights and partnerships.
Visa, a strategic partner since the festival’s inception, reaffirmed its commitment to the region.
“Visa supports UNCHAIN’s vision of fostering regional resilience, bridging traditional and emerging financial sectors, and accelerating market growth,” said Cătălin Crețu, General Manager for Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria at Visa.
For the third consecutive year, SME Banking Club proudly partnered with UNCHAIN.
Olena Gryniuk, CEE Director at SME Banking Club, moderated a high-impact panel on embedded SME lending, featuring:
- Cosmin Curticapean (LENDOX)
- Michal Prazny (Global Payments Europe)
- Ionut Encescu (Visa)
- Istvan György Fetter (CIB Bank)
The panel culminated in the announcement of a strategic partnership between Global Payments Europe, LENDOX, and Visa, aimed at unlocking SME lending in the CEE region through AI and payment data. The collaboration will enable Romanian SMEs to access loan offers directly at the point of sale, particularly when purchasing gadgets and equipment in physical stores. This initiative combines LENDOX’s credit intelligence platform, Visa’s global infrastructure, and Global Payments Europe’s acquiring capabilities.
