​08:30-09:00

 REGISTRATION & WELCOME COFFEE

Badge collection, informal introductions and one-to-one meeting check-in

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09:00-09:05

 WELCOME ADDRESS

QUBE Events welcome and introduction to the two-track programme

Lilly Pavlou, Executive Director at QUBE Events

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09:05-09:10

 CO-CHAIRS OPENING ADDRESS

The 2027 priorities: payments innovation, trust and regulated growth

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09:10-09:40

 PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

The Payments Reset: Who Wins in an Always-On, Embedded World? 

• What faster, cross-border and embedded payments mean for banks, PSPs and merchants

• Where cards, account-to-account and embedded models compete or complement one another

• Winning on experience and acceptance without sacrificing profitability

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09:40-10:10

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

The Fintech Growth Dilemma: Scale Fast, Stay Regulated​​

• What Malta and EU supervisors expect as payment and e-money businesses mature

• Getting banking access, governance and operational substance right when expanding

• Build, partner or acquire: choosing a growth route that stands up to scrutiny

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10:10-10:35

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

PSD3, PSR and Instant Payments: Turning the Rulebook into Results ​

• Where PSD3 and PSR stand and which preparations deserve priority

• Verification of Payee, authentication and disputes: what changes for customers

• What instant-payment implementation has taught banks and payment institutions

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10:35-11:00

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

Pay by Bank Goes Mainstream: Can Open Banking Finally Deliver?

• Removing friction from consent, connectivity and checkout journeys

• Which merchant and recurring-payment use cases are proving commercially viable

• How wider financial-data access could unlock the next generation of services

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11:00-11:30

NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK

• Curated one-to-one introductions with senior buyers and partners

• Time to follow up on specific use cases and partnership needs

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11:30-12:00

 PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

AI with a Licence to Operate: Real Value, Real Accountability​

• Where AI is already delivering value in risk, compliance and customer service

• Making models explainable, measurable and safe under human oversight

• What boards and supervisors need to see on AI governance and evidence

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12:00-12:30

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

Beyond Tick-Box AML: Smarter KYC for Faster-Moving Finance

• Making onboarding and continuous due diligence more effective without slowing good customers

• Using AI and shared intelligence to spot risks earlier and reduce false positives

• Preparing for EU AML reforms across banking, fintech and gaming

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12:30-13:00

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A
 The Trust Test: Fighting Scams, Deepfakes and Digital Identity Fraud​​

• Stopping authorised payment scams, mule networks and synthetic identities

• Applying behavioural intelligence, passkeys and digital identity tools

• Coordinating prevention and recovery without punishing legitimate customers

 

13:00-14:00

 NETWORKING LUNCH 

• Hosted tables and working lunch conversations

• Opportunity for sponsors and buyers to sit together with purpose

 

14:00-14:30

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A 

Resilience Under Fire:

DORA, Cyber Threats and the Third-Party Challenge

• Turning incident reporting and resilience testing into credible action

• Managing cloud concentration, critical suppliers and practical exit strategies

• Clarifying board responsibility and the NIS2 overlap where relevant

 

14:30-14:55

KEYNOTE SPEECH + Q&A
 Money Never Sleeps: Liquidity, FX and Treasury in a 24/7 World

• Managing intraday liquidity, weekend funding and pre-funding across corridors

• Improving FX execution, exposure visibility and total settlement transparency

• Getting safeguarding and reconciliation right as payments accelerate

 

14:55-15:25

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

Orchestrate to Win: Higher Acceptance, Faster Payouts, Better Margins​​

• Smarter routing across cards, account-to-account and alternative methods

• Tracking conversion, payout speed, chargebacks and the true cost of failure

• Practical lessons from gaming, marketplaces and high-volume e-commerce

 

​​15:25-15:55

NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK

•  Follow-up discussions on partnerships, pilots, integrations

•  Media/interview windows and press moments

 

15:55-16:25

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

When AI Agents Start Paying: Who Holds the Controls?

• Where agents can initiate payments, refunds and post-purchase actions

• Consent, spending limits, liability and audit trails when software acts for customers

• How banks, PSPs and merchants can test readiness and commercial value

 

16:25-17:00

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

Merchants in the Driving Seat: What Do They Really Want from Payments?

• What merchants expect now: higher approval rates, lower costs and frictionless checkout

• Where pay by bank, embedded finance and alternative payment methods deliver measurable value

• Winning merchant trust through faster settlement, better data and smarter dispute management

 

17:00-17:35

PANEL DISCUSSION + Q&A

Cybersecurity on the Front Line:

Can Payments Stay Ahead of the Attackers?

• Confronting ransomware, API attacks, account takeover and AI-powered social engineering

• Securing real-time payments, digital channels and critical third-party connections

• Moving from incident response to cyber readiness through threat intelligence, testing and collaboration

 

​17:35-17:40

CO-CHAIRS CLOSING COMMENTS

• Key takeaways for payments, risk, policy and technology

• How to stay engaged after the Forum

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17:40-19:00

NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION

Hosted drinks, informal networking, relaxed follow-up conversations

Located at Quarterdeck Bar - Hilton Hotel

Sponsored by Buen Crypto Consulting

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19:30-23:30

EVENING NETWORKING PARTY

Music, canapés, and continued private discussions with peers and prospects

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