Cyprus hosts first Forbes next gen banking and fintech summit in Limassol

The first Forbes Cyprus Next Gen Banking & Fintech Summit began on October 13, 2026, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Limassol. Organized by Phileleftheros Media Group in collaboration with Capital S.A., the event brought together approximately 250 participants, including government officials, regulators, investors, and academics from the U.S., U.K., Switzerland, and the Middle East to discuss the evolution of the financial sector.

President Nikos Christodoulides addressed the summit, highlighting Cyprus's economic resilience, citing a 10% growth over the past three years and a recent sovereign credit rating upgrade by Standard & Poor’s to A. He emphasized that the nation seeks to leverage this stability to become a European hub for financial technology. Discussions featured key figures, including Central Bank Governor Christodoulos Patsalides and CySEC Chairman George Karatzias, who stressed that regulatory certainty is a competitive advantage rather than a barrier to growth.

Keynote speaker Costas Markides, a professor at London Business School, focused on the fintech revolution and the future of banking. Phileleftheros CEO Tasos Anastasiou noted that the summit aims to address critical questions regarding Cyprus's capacity to build a competitive fintech ecosystem, focusing on security and trust as fundamental prerequisites for digital transformation.