FINOPOLIS 2019 has been remarkable for the topics discussed at the event, and for facilitating an open and impartial exchange of views. New technologies are universal and impact all aspects of life. This is an area characterized by rapid change. Without openness and trust, we will not be able to effectively combat cybercrime and improve our competitiveness. I am glad that these ideas were expressed at FINOPOLIS.

FINOPOLIS is one of Russia's most important technology and financial conferences and exhibitions. It attracts the best speakers from all over the world, and I realise this is an important event for everyone, not just those in Russia. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the 2019 event, and look forward to attending again in the future.

Over the last five years, FINOPOLIS has not only emerged as one of Russia’s key FinTech forums, but also grown significantly in stature on the international stage. The Forum’s interesting agenda, heated discussions, wonderful organization and atmosphere and, of course, the significant involvement of the leadership of the Central Bank in the event all deserve particular mention. FINOPOLIS is a professional venue where new ideas come to life and strategic guidelines take shape.

FINOPOLIS 2019 was so impressive, covering a wide variety of urging and important topics affecting the finance industry practice in the world. The high quality of speakers, and open and embracing attitude of leaders at the Central Bank of Russia, and informative discussions surrounding challenges in regulating innovative practices all lead to a bright future for development of financial technologies in Russia.

FINOPOLIS was certainly not ‘just another FinTech event’, the likes of which we have seen so often lately.

What amazed me most at the event was something quite simple: theorists, developers, innovators, investors, operators, practitioners and regulators sat down together to give us a comprehensive picture of what is happening in terms of payment technologies that are relevant to central bankers, and what the near-term future might bring. I do not regret a single second I spent in Sochi.

FINOPOLIS is a key event for us, and provides a platform to discuss the future of FinTech in Russia with major market players, exchange best practices, hold open dialogue with the regulator and secure key partnerships. We participate in the Forum every year and are very grateful to its organizers for the hospitality, professionalism and business-friendly atmosphere that have always defined FINOPOLIS.

For Mastercard, Russia is a priority market as well as one of our fastest-growing areas. We have been doing business here for more than 20 years and are actively participating in the development of a cashless economy. Russia has been among the early adopters of the innovative payment technologies we are rolling out around the world.

FINOPOLIS brings together policy makers, technologists, entrepreneurs and thought leaders together in a unique way, fostering opportunities to better collaborate and change the way we look at delivering finance. The conversations are thoughtful, expansive, and philosophical; the atmosphere welcoming; the attendees curious and engaged; the organizers meticulous to the very last detail. My time at FINOPOLIS sparked new ideas, challenged my thinking, and connected me to great people – exactly what I want from a great conference.

FINOPOLIS has been a fantastic event, very insightful, well balanced in terms of innovation, technology and regulatory perspectives as well as the speaker and participant mix – bringing together key local industry stakeholders and international leaders such as WeChatPay, Ant Financial and Transferwise. I particularly enjoyed the opening plenary session ‘Regulatory Fast Track for FinTech’, presenting the regulatory framework and benchmarks from several Central Banks – China, Kazakhstan and Turkey. It was also great to witness the innovative payment and banking solutions provided by incumbent banks, challenged banks and new players – fintech companies showcased in the expo area, the Skolkovo Innovation Zone by the Skolkovo Foundation and Startup Alley, in particular. Last but not least, I was delighted to see so many decision-making women from the Bank of Russia involved as hosts and speakers in the FINOPOLIS sessions.

Each year, FINOPOLIS brings together all the great advocates for new innovations and technologies. The Forum’s agenda covers the very latest trends, and we were able to hold highly fruitful discussions with our colleagues in finance on a new digital banking paradigm that Alfa-Bank believes could represent the future of the sector.

FINOPOLIS provided a unique opportunity to learn more about innovations in Russia and discuss recent trends in payments with knowledgeable speakers in many engaging discussions. I believe Russia has great potential to become one of the most thriving markets for FinTech development. Events like FINOPOLIS make a significant contribution to connecting and developing the local FinTech community in a meaningful way.

I enjoyed being a part of this conference which brought all the different market constituents together - regulators, bankers, FinTech - to talk about the future. This is not the first time I have visited Russia and I’d like to say that I’m inspired by how fast the country’s FinTech market is evolving, how many new startups have emerged and how much effort is being put into the creation of a more prosperous environment for developing innovations. As a global leader in innovations in payments, Visa will continue to contribute to this development by sharing our expertise and help the local FinTech community evolve in close partnership with all market participants.

Central Banks are in a privileged position and act as a link that brings together all incumbents in this new era of global liquidity democratization. I’m very pleased to participate in an event like FINOPOLIS where the deep involvement of the executive committee is key to understanding, improving and applying the right blend of innovation to ensure a smooth transition to a stable digital society by embracing diversity. It is a not-to-be-missed event for any company willing to learn new things and succeed on the Russia market.

In terms of participants and speakers this years’ FINOPOLIS was simply excellent. The agenda included a wide range of topics, from central bank digital currencies to the issues of stable coins and digital identity. We heard from an amazing mix of policy writers, industry, government, and central banks. I look forward to taking part in this event next year.

This is the third year running that we have been an official partner at FINOPOLIS, and not only for the main programme, but the youth one too, which we consider to be no less important. We are able to cover a great deal of ground over the course of just a few days at this event. We hold productive meetings with our colleagues operating in the market, and also with young talents. We have the opportunity to talk to the regulator, and demonstrate our company’s accomplishments. We primarily remember this year’s Forum for its rich programme and large number of intelligent young people who enthusiastically tackled the tasks set by our FinTech school at Tinkoff’s stand.

The standard of content curation for the panels at FINOPOLIS was very impressive. I learnt a lot about the FinTech issues pertinent to Russia and the region from the open and frank discussions in the various panels. It was an enriching experience!

FINOPOLIS is a fantastic event, and the best place to understand what is happening today in the financial services industry in Russia. The organizers take great care in ensuring that there is a real diversity of international speakers, allowing global discussions on the future of the industry to take place. I really enjoyed participating in the Forum.

FINOPOLIS has become a key event for both the Russian and the international FinTech market. This year the Forum was attended by representatives of more than 30 countries, including the prominent founder of the Paris FinTech Forum, Laurent Nizri. During the Forum, the venue transformed into a real window into the future of the financial industry, as all the participants sought to show off their innovations, best technologies, and solutions. An open and constructive dialogue was held during which everyone was able to share their opinions and come up with a common position. This offered the opportunity to shape the agenda in new technologies, which in turn helps increase the availability of financial services and develop healthy competition in the sector.