Un:Block 2026

Sean attended this year's leading blockchain and fintech conference in Riga, Latvia. Here is what stood out, and why the conversations in that room matter for everyone in the industry.

Some events you attend for the content. Others you attend for the room. UN:BLOCK 2026 in Riga delivered both, and it was a reminder of exactly why The Connector exists.

Held at Hanzas Perons in Riga, Latvia, this year's edition brought together the most concentrated gathering of blockchain and fintech professionals in Northern Europe. Two days. Two dedicated stages. And a room full of people who are not waiting for the future of finance to arrive but are actively building it.

Speakers who drove the conversation

The stage lineup reflected the full spectrum of what is happening in digital finance right now. From Web3 infrastructure to traditional banking and policy, the sessions were substantive and direct.

With names from Mastercard, Kraken, and Latvia's Ministry of Economics also on stage, the event drew speakers who are shaping policy and product at the highest levels. It was not a roster built for optics. These are practitioners with skin in the game.

Two stages. Zero filler.

One of the smartest structural decisions at UN:BLOCK is the dual-stage format. A dedicated blockchain innovation track runs alongside a fintech and traditional banking track, which means attendees are not sitting through sessions that have nothing to do with their work. Every hour is an active choice.

Why The Connector will be back

The Connector exists to make positive waves in the financial industry by bringing together the people, ideas, and communities that move things forward. UN:BLOCK is exactly the kind of event that shares that mission.

Whether you are a fintech founder looking for your next investor, a financial institution scoping partnerships, or a regulator trying to understand what the market is actually building, Riga puts you in a room where all of those conversations can happen in two days. That is an extraordinary return on time.

If you were not there this year, we encourage you to put it on your calendar for 2027. And if you were, it was a genuine pleasure being in the room with you.

Want to connect with the people shaping European finance? Join The Connector community and never miss the conversations that matter.