Europe Seeks Its Own Digital Currency Amid Global Financial Shift
Madrid will host MERGE Madrid 2026, an event where banks, regulators, and financial-industry leaders will discuss the future of digital assets. The conference is a key moment for Europe's financial transformation, as the region seeks to establish its own stablecoins and digital currencies. Qivalis, a consortium of 37 European financial institutions working on a euro-denominated stablecoin regulated under MiCA, will be well-represented at the event.
The participating banks include BBVA, Santander, Cecabank, BNP Paribas, Visa, Mastercard, Ripple, and Circle. MERGE Madrid 2026 aims to bring together over 3,000 attendees and 250 international speakers from financial institutions, regulatory bodies, technology companies, and firms specializing in financial infrastructure.
Paula Pascual, founder of MERGE, says, 'We are living through one of the greatest changes in the recent history of finance. The conversation is no longer about whether digital assets will play a relevant role, but about who will build the infrastructure that will move the money of the future.'