Merge Madrid 2026: Euro Stablecoin Banks Take Center Stage
From October 27 to 29, 2026, Merge Madrid brings more than 3,000 attendees and 250 speakers to the Madrid Stock Exchange and then to the Palacio de Cibeles, according to the organizer’s press release of September 30. Santander, BBVA, BNP Paribas, CaixaBank and Qivalis, the consortium of 37 European banks preparing a euro stablecoin, will present their projects there. Cointribune went through the official speaker list to tell you who is speaking, what these players already offer and what a ticket costs. To get the MERGE x Cointribune partnership discount (20% with the code MERGECOINTRIBUNE20)
In Brief
- October 27: institutional summit at the Madrid Stock Exchange, capped at 400 attendees. October 28 and 29: conference and exhibition at the Palacio de Cibeles.
- At least ten of the 37 Qivalis member banks have a speaker on the program, according to our count of the official page on September 30.
- Applied to the regular price, the code MERGECOINTRIBUNE20 brings that ticket down to €399.20, according to our calculations.
Why Are European Banks Meeting in Madrid?
Because the euro stablecoin is moving beyond the project stage. Qivalis, the joint venture set up by European banks, has had 37 members in 15 countries since May 20, 2026 and is targeting a launch in the second half of 2026, according to its press release. Cointribune already covered the arrival of 25 new banks in Qivalis, which tripled the consortium’s size.
A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency whose value tracks an official currency, here the euro. It works like a cloakroom ticket: each token matches one euro left behind the counter, which the issuer must hold in reserve. In Europe, the MiCA regulation reserves the issuance of these tokens to authorized institutions. Qivalis has applied for that authorization to the Dutch central bank (DNB) and has not yet received it, according to its official website.
Read as a business deal, Merge Madrid sells banks a stage in front of their future clients and their supervisors, and sells visitors direct access to the people building these products. Its founder sums up the shift:
For the first time, banks, fintechs, and major payment companies are not coming to debate whether stablecoins will play a role in the financial system, but rather to explain how they are building and integrating them.
Paula Pascual, founder of MERGE, press release of September 30, 2026
Who Is Speaking, and What Do These Players Already Offer?
The official speaker page lists more than 170 names as of September 30. By our count, at least ten Qivalis member banks are sending a representative, including BBVA, CaixaBank, Cecabank, Intesa Sanpaolo, ABN AMRO, Piraeus and BNP Paribas, which is coming with two executives from its securities custody arm. Qivalis itself is also represented.
Banco Santander fields three speakers, including Coty de Monteverde, its global head of crypto and digital assets; its online bank Openbank is also sending its managing director. Platforms and infrastructure providers are there too: Kraken, Bit2Me, Trade Republic, eToro, Tether, Ripple, Fireblocks, Chainalysis and Ledger. Finally, the CNMV (Spain’s securities regulator), the European Banking Authority, represented by a MiCA supervision officer, and Luxembourg’s CSSF will also speak.
For several of these players, Madrid is a shop window for products already on the shelf:
| Player at Merge | What it offers | Since | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Openbank (Santander group) | Buying, selling and custody of 5 cryptos (bitcoin, ether, litecoin, Polygon, Cardano), 1.49% fee per trade (minimum €1), no custody fees | September 16, 2025 in Germany, November 11, 2025 in Spain | Germany, Spain |
| BBVA | Buying, selling and custody of bitcoin and ether in its app | July 4, 2025, for all clients | Spain |
| Western Union | USDPT, a dollar stablecoin issued by Anchorage Digital Bank on the Solana blockchain | May 4, 2026 | International |
| Qivalis (37 banks) | Euro stablecoin, awaiting authorization | Launch targeted for the second half of 2026 | Europe |
What Does It Change for Savers in Europe?
Nothing immediately, but the topic matters more than it seems. The Openbank and BBVA crypto offers are limited to the countries listed above. Qivalis, on the other hand, has a Europe-wide footprint: its member list includes ING, UniCredit, BNP Paribas, Nordea and Rabobank, among others. If this stablecoin launches, it will be backed by banks that many Europeans already use for their everyday accounts.
The European Central Bank is not closing the door. Piero Cipollone, member of its Executive Board and chair of the Eurosystem task force on the digital euro, said on April 1, 2026 that “private settlement assets will play a role in this ecosystem – whether in the form of tokenised deposits or euro-denominated stablecoins issued in Europe,” according to the text of his speech.
Two caveats before you get interested. A euro stablecoin is not the digital euro: the first is like a gift card issued by a private company and backed by euros, while the second would be a digital banknote issued by the ECB. And a stablecoin is not a bank deposit covered by deposit insurance: its soundness depends on the issuer’s reserves and supervision. For more context, read why most banks are now betting on stablecoins.
How Much Is a Ticket, and How Do the Three Days Unfold?
On Tuesday, October 27, the institutional summit takes place at the Madrid Stock Exchange from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for 400 attendees, followed by a VIP evening. On October 28 and 29, the conference moves to the Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid’s city hall, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 7,000 m² exhibition area and more than 40 exhibitors, according to the official website. A closing party is scheduled on the evening of October 29.
Prices work like train tickets: the closer the departure, the higher they climb. Early prices ended on September 30; regular prices now apply.
| Ticket | Access | Regular price (VAT incl.) | With the −20% code (Cointribune calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover (1 day) | Conference and exhibition on October 28 or 29 | €149 | €119.20 |
| Estándar (2 days) | Conference, exhibition, app and networking on October 28 and 29 | €499 | €399.20 |
| Pro (2 days) | Estándar, plus contact with speakers and sponsors and VIP lunch on October 28 | €899 | €719.20 |
| Business (3 days, 60 seats) | Pro, plus institutional summit and VIP evening on October 27 | €2,999 | €2,399.20 |
Before booking, check that the code applies to the ticket you want. The ticketing page does not state refund conditions: read them at checkout, and add travel and accommodation in Madrid to your budget.
The first meeting is set for October 27 at the Madrid Stock Exchange. Two things will be worth listening for: the launch date Qivalis puts forward for a stablecoin expected in the second half of 2026 but still awaiting authorization, and the tone of the supervisors in the room, from the CNMV to the European Banking Authority, on how much room MiCA leaves banks in crypto. For schedules and access, see our practical guide to Merge Madrid 2026.
Merge Madrid, October 27 to 29, 2026: 20% off with the code MERGECOINTRIBUNE20 on the official ticketing page, subject to the organizer’s terms. Book my ticket for Merge Madrid.
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The Cointribune editorial team unites its voices to address topics related to cryptocurrencies, investment, the metaverse, and NFTs, while striving to answer your questions as best as possible.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.