Venly Advanced to Mastercard Fintech European Final
Blockchain payments firm Venly secured a spot in the program's final, competing for EUR 100,000 in marketing support.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Financial Services
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Venly and Giskard AI won the France-Belgium semifinal of the Mastercard For Fintechs 2026 program after presenting to a panel of industry experts. The winning finalists will compete for a EUR 100,000 marketing prize in Milan.
Why it matters
Mastercard uses this program to identify and integrate infrastructure-focused fintechs into its ecosystem, potentially fast-tracking market entry for winners. For operators, the program serves as a signal of institutional interest in specific payment technologies.
The Mastercard For Fintechs program reviewed 63 applications from France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, representing a portion of the 240 entries submitted across Europe. The ultimate winner of the final will receive EUR 100,000 in marketing support.
The players
Venly
A developer of blockchain and stablecoin payment infrastructure providing API tools for fintech companies.
Mastercard
A global payments technology company that operates initiatives to scout and partner with emerging fintech startups.
Giskard AI
A technology firm that provides testing and evaluation tools for artificial intelligence systems.
The details
Venly specializes in providing stablecoin payment infrastructure through a single API, a tool designed to simplify blockchain integration for payment companies. During the Paris event, six semifinalists presented their solutions to a jury comprised of Mastercard representatives and fintech ecosystem experts. The selection focused on the scalability and financial service impact of these infrastructure solutions.
Timeline
May 2024: Mastercard selected Venly for its Start Path Blockchain and Digital Assets program.
September 22, 2026: The semifinal took place at the Hôtel de l'Industrie in Paris.
November 25, 2026: The European final is scheduled to take place in Milan.
Market Landscape
This selection follows Venly's prior acceptance into Mastercard's Start Path Blockchain and Digital Assets program in May 2024. The progression mirrors a broader institutional trend of payment networks curating and funding the underlying infrastructure for stablecoin and digital asset adoption.
Operators integrating blockchain payments should monitor Venly's performance as an indicator of maturing stablecoin infrastructure. The potential marketing prize and institutional backing suggest a focus on scalable, API-driven solutions for mainstream financial service providers.
The takeaway
The Mastercard competition highlights a growing institutional preference for API-first payment infrastructure over proprietary blockchain applications. Fintech operators should benchmark their own integration tools against the ease-of-use standards prioritized by large-scale payment networks.
What happens next
Venly will compete in the Mastercard For Fintechs European final on November 25, 2026, in Milan.
Further reading
For more on shifts in payment infrastructure, visit the Financial Services section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Manila times.
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