Madrid, September 2026.– Stablecoins have evolved past being exclusive to the crypto sector, establishing themselves instead as a strategic priority for global payment firms, fintechs, and banks. At MERGE Madrid 2026, industry leaders including Santander, BBVA, Trade Republic, and Western Union will convene to examine how this emerging financial infrastructure will reshape investment, international transfers, asset settlement, and payments.
Set for October 27th through the 29th, the upcoming edition of MERGE Madrid positions the Spanish capital at the heart of discussions concerning the future of money. The gathering will integrate four distinct viewpoints: the formulation of a European stablecoin aligned with MiCA, multi-bank international cooperation, the adoption of digital assets via a European investment platform, and the integration of a digital dollar into a major global remittance network.
Four approaches that anticipate the future of digital money
Bankinter, Banca Sella, BBVA, BNP Paribas, CaixaBank, Cecabank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Kutxabank, Piraeus Bank, and Raiffeisen Bank will detail their participation in Qivalis—an alliance currently uniting 37 financial institutions across 15 European countries to advance a euro-pegged stablecoin. Designed for a regulated framework, the project seeks to deliver continuous 24-hour availability, cheaper and faster transfers, and streamlined settlement for digital assets. Pending required authorization, its commercial rollout is targeted for the second half of 2026.
Santander will address the joint initiative it is studying alongside Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, MUFG, TD Bank, and UBS. This project explores issuing digital money backed one-to-one by reserves and hosted on public blockchains. By examining G7-linked currencies, the undertaking highlights how global banking institutions aim to establish shared standards for securely and regulatively operating with digital money.
Representing a major European investment and savings platform, Trade Republic will share insights on bringing digital assets into everyday financial services. Their involvement offers a chance to evaluate retail investor demands, the methods for ensuring simple and regulated access to cryptoassets, and the functions digital platforms will fulfill in driving new European financial infrastructures forward.
Western Union will showcase USDPT, its Solana-built, Anchorage Digital Bank-issued dollar stablecoin. By weaving this asset into its Digital Asset Network, the firm connects digital money to practical applications like 24/7 transfers, merchant payments, and local currency conversions via its international network. This approach demonstrates how stablecoins can enhance existing remittance and cash systems rather than operating in a siloed ecosystem.
“For the first time, banks, fintechs, and major payment companies aren’t coming to debate whether stablecoins will have a role in the financial system, but instead to explain how they are building and integrating them and what specific problems they want to solve with them. MERGE Madrid will be the place where we can compare these models and understand what form digital money will take in Europe and Latin America,” explains Paula Pascual, founder of MERGE.
Why does everyone want to launch a stablecoin now?
This surge of interest arrives at a critical juncture for the sector. While Europe’s MiCA regulations have established clear rules for marketing and issuing crypto-assets, the proliferation of dollar-pegged stablecoins has fueled discussions surrounding monetary sovereignty and Europe’s capability to build independent payment systems.
For financial institutions, these currencies unlock near-instant global transfers, programmable transactions, 24/7 availability, and the settlement of tokenized assets free from traditional banking hours. For remittance and payment operators, stablecoins provide a way to cut out intermediaries, linking digital funds directly to merchants, bank accounts, and cash pickup locations.
Discussions at MERGE Madrid will extend past mere technology. Attendees will debate appropriate issuers, reserve protection methods, mandatory user safeguards, coexistence with bank deposits and the forthcoming digital euro, and the models holding the highest potential for true mainstream adoption.
Madrid brings together the banking sector building the new digital money
The agenda will convene authorities spanning banking, payments, regulation, investment, digital assets, and blockchain infrastructure. Confirmed participants include Francisco Maroto, Head of Blockchain and Digital Assets at BBVA; Coty de Monteverde, Global Head of Crypto & Digital Assets at Banco Santander; alongside delegates from Western Union, Trade Republic, Qivalis, Ripple, Mastercard, and other entities shaping next-generation financial systems.
Kicking off on October 27th at the Bolsa de Madrid, the event will feature an Institutional Summit tailored for executives, regulators, investors, and banks. The main conference will follow on the 28th and 29th at the Palacio de Cibeles, welcoming over 3,000 participants and 250 international speakers hailing from Latin America and Europe.
Alongside digital payments and stablecoins, conference topics will touch upon tokenization, capital markets, custody, regulation, artificial intelligence in finance, Bitcoin, and emerging blockchain networks. Through this, MERGE solidifies its standing as a bridge connecting traditional finance with the digital asset landscape across the Atlantic.
About MERGE
MERGE serves as the premier institutional forum for Web3, blockchain, and digital assets bridging Latin America and Europe. Through its gatherings in São Paulo and Madrid, the platform unites startups, corporations, regulators, banks, investors, fintechs, and native digital organizations to encourage collaboration and the growth of fresh business models.
More information, agenda, and tickets: HERE
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is MERGE Madrid 2026 taking place?
The event runs from October 27th to 29th, 2026. The Institutional Summit on October 27th will be held at the Bolsa de Madrid, while the main conference on October 28th and 29th will take place at the Palacio de Cibeles.
What financial institutions are involved in the Qivalis project?
Qivalis brings together 37 financial institutions across 15 European countries, including BBVA, Banca Sella, Bankinter, BNP Paribas, CaixaBank, Cecabank, Intesa Sanpaolo, Kutxabank, Piraeus Bank, and Raiffeisen Bank.
What is Western Union’s USDPT stablecoin?
USDPT is a dollar-denominated stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank and built on the Solana blockchain, which Western Union is integrating into its Digital Asset Network for transfers, payments, and local currency conversions.
What topics will be covered at the conference besides stablecoins?
The agenda will also address tokenization, asset custody, regulatory frameworks, capital markets, Bitcoin, artificial intelligence in finance, and new blockchain infrastructures.
