Balkan Payment Forum 2026 — The Strategic Payments Hub of Southern Europe
About the event
Balkan Payment Forum is a high-level platform uniting the payments, fintech, and financial services ecosystem of the Balkans and Southern Europe with the global payments community.
The Forum brings together central banks, regulators and authorities, financial institutions, PSPs, innovators, investors, and technology providers from 20+ countries to address the region’s most important challenges and opportunities in digital payments.
The Balkans are entering a decisive phase: rapid digitalisation, EU-driven regulatory change, expanding cross-border commerce, and accelerating fintech innovation.
Balkan Payment Forum is the place to be — let’s shape the future of payments together!
200 +
delegates
25
speakers
15 +
regulators
20 +
countries
SPEAKERS OF THE FORUM
Holta Zacaj
First Deputy Governor Bank of Albania
Gijs Boudewijn
Chairman of the Board European Payment Council (EPC) (Netherlands)
Delina Ibrahimaj
Minister, Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Albania
Michael Jennings
Head of Division, Eurosystem Market Infrastructures Development and Administration Banca d'Italia (Italy)
Ledia Bregu
MBA, CID Director of Payment Systems, Accounting and Finance Department at Bank of Albania
Mr. Dardan Fusha
Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo
Jose M. Moreno de Barreda
Digital Finance & Fintech Sr. Advisor IFC - International Finance Corporation (Spain)
Linda Shomo
Co-Founder of Balkan Fintech Association, Founder & CEO EasyPay (Albania)
Stela Shkodrani
CAMS, Chief Legal Officer (CLO) IutePay, Country Ambassador for Albania at the Balkan Fintech Association
Fatbardha Rino
Chief Executive Officer, Jet Bank (Albania)
Merima Mahmutovic
Senior Manager I PwC Strategy, Transformation & Technology I SEE (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Piotr Jan Pietrzak
New Markets Lead, European Payment Initiative (EPI)
Matthias Timm
Operations Officer at IFC - International Finance Corporation (Austria)
Panos Chalkias
C.E.O., Central, South & East Europe Transaction Systems (Hungary)
Elton Çollaku
Chief Executive Officer Union Financiar Tiranë
Yuliya Starokozheva
Deputy Chair of the Management Board, СІО of Raiffeisen Bank Ukraine
Kjeld Herreman
Founding Partner "Paylume" (Belgium)
Günce Önür
General Partner, Investor, Startup Wise Guys (Turkey\ Estonia)
Shefqet Avdullau
Angel Investor , Strategic Advisor, Official Member of the Forbes Finance Council (Albania)
Bashkim Zeqiri
Founder and Chairman of the Board Pysera Kosovo | Founder of Paysera Macedonia | Head of Consulate and Honorary Counsul of Republic of Lithuania in Kosovo
Shkelzen Marku
Co-founder and CEO of YSB/Enterimpact Balkans
Deniz Deralla
Director of Supervision Department Bank of Albania
Daniela Malaj
Managing Director, HAPPY, member of Balfin Group
Matija Laco
Senior Economist and Manager of the Western Balkans Payments Modernization Project, World Bank (Brussels Office)
Prasad Khambalikar
Regional Director, Europe - Banking and Financial Services "Oracle" (UK)
Miodrag Dzodzo
Regional Director Balkans, Natech Banking Solutions
Bora Feri
Chief Operations Officer at MPAY Albania
Konstantinos Tsimpoukas
Business Developer Manager Mellon
Taulant Piero
General Manager, Mellon Albania & Kosova
Emir Kurtic
Vice Governor at Central Bank Bosnia and Herzegovina
AGENDA
Registration & Welcome Coffee
Opening of the Forum
Welcome word by Organizer – Karolina Aleksandrova, Founder & CEO ProMoney, Government, Authorities, Guests and Partners
Opening address by Minister Delina Ibrahimaj, Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Albania
Keynote speech
Speaker Holta Zacaj, First Deputy Governor Bank of Albania
Keynote presentation
The TIPS Clone initiative to develop a regional IP system for the Western Balkans
Speaker Michael Jennings, Head of Division, Eurosystem Market Infrastructures Development and Administration Banca d'Italia (Italy)
Opening Panel Discussion:
Regulatory Outlook for the Balkan Region “Regulatory Priorities for Payments, Innovation and Financial Integrity”
Moderator: Matija Laco , Senior Economis World Bank (Belgium) *tbc
Guiding Questions:
- What regulatory changes will shape payments in 2026–2027?
- PSD3, Instant Payments, Open Finance — what impact on the Balkans?
- SEPA and its tangible benefits 6 months from live
- What are main challenges and opportunities for payment industry?
- What incentives (or regulations) can accelerate cashless adoption?
Invited Experts:
- Ledia Bregu, MBA, CID Director of Payment Systems, Accounting and Finance Department at Bank of Albania
- Dardan Fusha, Deputy Governor for Banking Operations of Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovо
- Gijs Boudewijn, Chairman of the Board European Payment Council (EPC) (Netherlands)
Keynote presentation
«The Future of Payments in Europe: Instant, Open, Cashless »
Speaker Kjeld Herreman, Founding Partner "Paylume" (Belgium)
Coffee Break & Networking
Keynote:
«Changing the way Europe pays»
Keynote Speaker: Piotr Jan Pietrzak, New Markets Lead, European Payment Initiative (EPI)
Fireside Chat by Panos Chalkias, CEO for Central & South East Europe at Transaction Systems, Daniela Malaj, Managing Director, HAPPY, member of Balfin Group
Panel Discussion
«Digital Payments Transformation: What Will Drive Growth?»
Moderator: Matthias Timm, Operations Officer at IFC - International Finance Corporation (Austria)
Key discussion points:
- Bank–fintech collaboration models
- Mobile, instant payments & embedded finance
- TIPS-like (clone TIPS) instant payment systems
Invited Expert Speakers:
- Fatbardha Rino, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Bank (Albania)
- Merima Mahmutovic, Senior Manager I PwC Strategy, Transformation & Technology I SEE (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Linda Shomo, Co-Founder of Balkan Fintech Association, Founder & CEO EasyPay
- Elton Çollaku, Chief Executive Officer Union Financiar Tiranë
Keynote presentation
«Building Trust: AML, Fraud Prevention and Financial Integrity in the Digital Age»
Networking lunch
Case Study:
«Digital Transformation of payments»
Keynote Speaker Yuliya Starokozheva, Deputy Chair of the Management Board, СІО of Raiffeisen Bank Ukraine
Panel Discussion
«What’s up in payments?»
Guiding Questions:
- Which payment products have the strongest growth potential?
- How to ensure compliance and AML procedures balancing between regulations and costs?
- What slows down cashless and instant payments?
Invited Expert Speakers:
- Bashkim Zeqiri, Founder and Chairman of the Board Pysera Kosovo | Founder of Paysera Macedonia | Head of Consulate and Honorary Counsul of Republic of Lithuania in Kosovo
- Dr. Miodrag Dzodzo, Regional Director Balkans «Natech Banking Solutions»
- Prasad Khambalikar, Regional Director, Europe - Banking and Financial Services «Oracle» (UK)
Panel Discussion
Investment & Strategic Outlook «Why the Balkans Can Become a Fintech Growth Hub»
Moderator Shkelzen Marku, Co-founder and CEO of YSB/Enterimpact Balkans and Growpreneur Accelerator
Guiding Questions:
- Expansion opportunities for potentinal investors and business
- Biggest obstacles to building a regional fintech hub
- Is “cashless 2030” a realistic goal for the region?
Invited Experts:
- Deniz Deralla, Director of Supervision Department Bank of Albania, Member of the Supervisory Board Financial Supervision Authority
- Jose M. Moreno de Barreda, Digital Finance & Fintech Sr. Advisor IFC - International Finance Corporation (Spain)
- Günce Önür, General Partner, Investor, Startup Wise Guys (Turkey\ Estonia)
- Shefqet Avdullau, Angel Investor, Strategic Advisor, Official Member of the Forbes Finance Council
Wrap up of the day, Networking coffee-break with glass of wine
TERMS OF PARTICIPATION
Date
May 14, 2026
Working language - English
Location
Rogner Hotel Tirana 5*
Bulevardi Deshmoret e Kombit, Tirana, Albania
STANDARD TICKET
150 €
+ VAT
/1 delegate
- Participation in-person
- Speakers presentations
- Coffee-breaks
- Networking opportunities
- Photos of Forum
