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FIBE Berlin—short for FinTech Berlin—is one of Europe’s largest annual FinTech conferences. The 2026 edition brought together banks, brokers, startups, and investors to discuss the future of money, technology, and investing. While the event is not a crypto-focused conference, crypto topics showed a stronger and more visible presence than in prior years.
FIBE covers a wide range of themes, including digital banking and insurance technology. In 2026, however, crypto appeared across dedicated sessions and exhibitor booths, including topics such as Bitcoin, self-custody, and tokenization. For newcomers, the message was that crypto is increasingly being treated as part of mainstream finance rather than a niche subject.
One of the most prominent moments at FIBE 2026 came from Yoni Assia, CEO of eToro. He presented updates to Tori, eToro’s AI companion for investors, describing three key features:
The presentation positioned the tool as a way to reduce the need for continuous market monitoring, particularly for beginners.
Another notable appearance at FIBE 2026 was Relai, a Swiss company focused on Bitcoin only. Its positioning emphasized self-custody and the absence of third parties. The company’s stated approach is that users own their Bitcoin directly, rather than holding coins through an exchange or bank. The content describes the model as meaning no exchange holds the coins and no company can freeze an account.
The presence of a self-custody Bitcoin-focused firm at a conference dominated by banks and brokers was presented as a sign of growing interest in direct ownership of assets within traditional finance circles.
On the Club Stage, FIBE 2026 featured discussion of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) as a new investment model. The concept described in the content involves taking a physical asset—such as an airplane engine or a rocket motor—and converting it into a digital token on a blockchain. Investors can then buy fractions of the asset, hold them for a period, and sell when they choose.
For beginners, the content frames RWA tokenization as a way to own a small portion of a physical asset in a manner similar to buying shares of stock. It also notes that the area is still early, but that the conversation is accelerating.
Overall, FIBE 2026 was presented as reinforcing a broader industry view: crypto and blockchain are not replacing traditional finance, but increasingly merging with it.
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