MERGE Madrid Kicks Off October 27 with Over 250 Speakers and the Future of Money on the Agenda
Madrid, Spain, October 21st, 2026, Chainwire
- MERGE Madrid will take place from October 27 to 29 at the Madrid Stock Exchange and Cibeles Palace, with an expected turnout of more than 3,000 attendees and 250 international speakers
- Euro and dollar stablecoins, the transformation of payments, and asset tokenization will take center stage in debates among banks, investment platforms, and remittance companies
- Coty de Monteverde from Santander and Francisco Maroto from BBVA are among the key participants, alongside representatives from Trade Republic, Western Union, Qivalis, Mastercard, and Ripple
- The event will kick off on the 27th with the Institutional Summit and a private VIP cocktail reception at the Madrid Stock Exchange; on the 28th and 29th, Cibeles Palace will host the main conference
The battle for digital money will have its next destination in Madrid. From October 27 to 29, MERGE Madrid 2026 will bring together banks, investment platforms, payment providers, and digital asset ecosystem representatives to explore how stablecoins and blockchain technology are reshaping payments, international transfers, and investing. Santander, BBVA, Trade Republic, and Western Union will participate in an edition expected to gather over 3,000 attendees and 250 international speakers.
With just one week to go, the event will address critical questions shaping the future of the financial sector: what role euro- and dollar-pegged digital currencies will play, who will build the new payment infrastructure, and how these innovations will reach businesses and everyday consumers. The agenda will combine perspectives from traditional banking, digital platforms, and companies connecting digital assets with daily economics.
Four Approaches Anticipating the Future of Digital Money
BBVA, Banca Sella, BNP Paribas, CaixaBank, Cecabank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Kutxabank, Piraeus Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, and Bankinter will highlight their role in Qivalis, an alliance bringing together 37 financial institutions across 15 European countries to drive a euro-denominated stablecoin. The project aims to offer faster, lower-cost, 24/7 payments and transfers, as well as streamline digital asset settlements within a regulated environment. Commercial launch is slated for the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory authorization.
Santander will discuss the initiative it is exploring alongside Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, MUFG, TD Bank, and UBS to issue digital currency backed 1:1 by reserves and accessible on public blockchains. The project is examining currencies pegged to G7 fiat currencies and demonstrates how international banking is working to establish common standards for operating digital money securely and in compliance with regulations.
Trade Republic will share insights from one of Europe’s leading investment and savings platforms on integrating digital assets into everyday financial services. Its participation will provide analysis on retail investor demand, facilitating simple and regulated access to crypto assets, and the pivotal role digital platforms will play in adopting next-generation financial infrastructure in Europe.
Western Union will showcase USDPT, its dollar-denominated stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and built on Solana. The company is integrating this asset into its Digital Asset Network to bridge digital money with real-world utility: 24/7 transfers, payments, and local currency conversions across its global network. The initiative illustrates how stablecoins can complement existing cash and remittance infrastructures rather than functioning as an isolated system.
“For the first time, banks, fintechs, and major payment providers aren’t gathering to debate whether stablecoins have a place in the financial system, but rather to explain how they are building and integrating them and which specific problems they intend to solve. MERGE Madrid will be the platform where we can compare these models and understand the shape digital money will take in Europe and Latin America,” explains Paula Pascual, founder of MERGE.
Everyone’s Push to Launch a Stablecoin Right Now
This momentum arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry. The MiCA regulation has established a clear European framework for issuing and offering crypto assets, while the rapid growth of US dollar-linked stablecoins has sparked important discussions on monetary sovereignty and Europe’s capacity to develop its own payment infrastructure.
For financial institutions, these tokens open opportunities for near-instant cross-border transfers, programmable payments, continuous operating hours, and tokenized asset settlements without reliance on legacy market hours. For payment platforms and remittance services, they offer a path to minimize intermediaries and connect digital currency directly to merchants, bank accounts, and cash pickup locations.
Discussions at MERGE Madrid will go far beyond tech specs. Speakers will evaluate who should issue these digital assets, how reserves are safeguarded, necessary consumer protections, co-existence with traditional bank deposits and the future digital euro, and which models hold the strongest promise for mass adoption.
Three Days Across the Madrid Stock Exchange and Cibeles Palace
The agenda brings together leaders in banking, payments, investing, regulation, blockchain infrastructure, and digital assets. Confirmed speakers include Coty de Monteverde, Global Head of Crypto & Digital Assets at Banco Santander; Francisco Maroto, Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets at BBVA; alongside executive teams from Trade Republic, Western Union, Qivalis, Mastercard, Ripple, and other pioneering firms shaping future financial infrastructure.
The program opens Tuesday, October 27 at the Madrid Stock Exchange with the Institutional Summit for bankers, investors, regulators, and industry leaders, followed by a private VIP networking reception. On Wednesday, October 28 and Thursday, October 29, Cibeles Palace will host the main conference, drawing participants from across Europe and Latin America for keynotes and breakout sessions on evolving financial services.
Beyond stablecoins and digital payments, discussions will cover tokenization, custody, regulation, capital markets, Bitcoin, AI in finance, and next-gen blockchain infrastructure. MERGE reinforces its role as the premier bridge connecting traditional banking with the digital asset ecosystem across both sides of the Atlantic.
About MERGE
MERGE is the leading institutional platform for digital assets, blockchain, and Web3 connecting Europe and Latin America. Through flagship events in Madrid, Buenos Aires and São Paulo, it brings together banks, regulators, corporations, investors, fintechs, startups, and native Web3 leaders to foster collaboration and advance new business models.
For more information, agenda details, and tickets: https://www.mmerge.io/es/merge-madrid-2026?utm_source=nota_prensa&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=mm26_PR_septiembre