Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- One-day forum addressing digital payments infrastructure and regulatory technology across Malta and the broader European market
- Focus areas include PSD3, the Payment Services Regulation, DORA compliance, Open Finance frameworks, and instant payments implementation
- Designed for senior executives from banking, payments, fintech, compliance, and regulatory technology sectors
- Programme combines keynote sessions, panel discussions, and structured networking opportunities
- Takes place 25 February 2027 in St Julian’s, Malta
Navigating Europe’s Shifting Payments and Regulatory Landscape
The NextGen Payments & RegTech Forum convenes banking, payments, and regulatory technology professionals to examine the operational and compliance challenges emerging from Europe’s evolving financial services framework. Scheduled for 25 February 2027 in Malta, the forum addresses topics of immediate relevance to institutions preparing for PSD3, the Payment Services Regulation, and the Digital Operational Resilience Act.
Malta’s position as a regulated financial services jurisdiction with established fintech and digital assets frameworks makes it a natural venue for cross-border dialogue on payments modernisation and regulatory adaptation. The forum draws participants from across the Mediterranean region and wider Europe.
About the Forum
The event brings together senior executives from banks, payment service providers, fintechs, regulatory bodies, and technology vendors for a programme of keynote presentations, panel discussions, and fireside conversations. Structured one-to-one networking sessions provide opportunities for peer exchange and business development alongside the formal agenda.
Discussion formats are designed to move beyond theoretical overviews toward practical examination of implementation challenges, regulatory expectations, and operational realities facing institutions in Maltese and European markets.
Central Discussion Themes
The programme addresses several interconnected areas reshaping payments and compliance operations. PSD3 and the Payment Services Regulation represent the next phase of European payments legislation, introducing revised requirements for payment service providers, enhanced consumer protections, and updated rules governing account access and data sharing.
Open Finance extends the data-sharing principles established under PSD2 beyond payment accounts to encompass savings, investments, pensions, and insurance products. This expansion creates both technical integration challenges and strategic opportunities for institutions across the financial services value chain.
The forum examines instant payments infrastructure as European regulators mandate broader adoption of real-time settlement capabilities. Institutions face questions around liquidity management, fraud prevention, and system resilience as transaction speeds accelerate.
DORA introduces binding requirements for ICT risk management, incident reporting, and third-party oversight across financial entities. Compliance demands significant investment in operational resilience frameworks and vendor management processes.
Additional sessions address artificial intelligence applications in payments and compliance, digital identity verification, digital assets integration, and evolving approaches to financial crime prevention. These topics intersect with regulatory developments, creating complex implementation considerations for technology and compliance teams.
Audience Profile
The forum is structured for decision-makers responsible for payments strategy, regulatory compliance, technology implementation, and risk management. Typical attendees include chief compliance officers, heads of payments, regulatory affairs directors, technology executives, and senior leaders from fintech organisations navigating European market requirements.
Participants from regulatory bodies and industry associations contribute perspectives on supervisory expectations and policy direction, enriching discussions with insights from multiple vantage points across the financial services ecosystem.
Malta as a Financial Services Hub
Malta has developed a distinctive position in European financial services through early adoption of regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies and its role as a gateway between European and Mediterranean markets. The jurisdiction’s experience with payments licensing, digital assets regulation, and cross-border financial services provides relevant context for discussions on regulatory adaptation and market development.