Banks, tech companies and startups meet in Athens next week as artificial intelligence, digital payments and cryptocurrencies erode banks' long hold on finance.
Fintech Athens 5.0 runs Oct. 29-30 at the University of Athens and at National Bank of Greece's historic Old Athens Stock Exchange.
The agenda centers on a shifting balance of power. Banks now compete with payment firms and tech platforms for business they once controlled.
AI is moving into customer service, risk assessment and fraud detection. Instant payments, crypto assets and prediction markets are drawing users, and regulators are scrambling to keep up.
Startup funding and talent will also feature, with sessions linking Greek fintech firms to investors in France and Germany and addressing demand for skills in data, AI and cybersecurity.
Speakers include Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki and National Bank of Greece Chairman Gikas Hardouvelis, a former finance minister.
The event is organized by the Greek Fintech Hub, whose members include National Bank of Greece, Endeavor Greece, the Onassis Foundation and two Athens universities. Amazon Web Services and Mastercard are backing it.
Fintech has become one of the fastest-growing corners of Greece's startup scene since the country emerged from its decade-long debt crisis.