2018 promises to be another great year for fintech in Switzerland. This year again, Switzerland will be hosting some of the largest and most anticipated fintech events and conferences in the world.

Here are some of the top fintech events to attend in 2018:

Panel discussion with Switzerland’s Top Fintech Accelerators

Spaces, Zurich Bleicherweg

February 13, 2018

This panel discussion with Switzerland’s leading fintech accelerators will explore together their models, their experiences, and discuss the key learnings over the past two years, debate around sustainable models for programs, explore the relative strength of each program, and share tips for entrepreneurs about getting in and making the most of the programs, as well as insights from international participants about what makes Switzerland attractive.

Speakers will include Katka Letzing of Kickstart Accelerator, Markus Graf of F10 FinTech Incubator and Accelerator, and Sal Matteis of Fintech Fusion.

Can fintech improve financial inclusion for refugees in Switzerland?

Thomson Reuters, Zurich

February 15, 2018

AsyLex, a charity providing free legal aid to refugees, has teamed up with the Swiss Finance + Technology Association and the think tank foraus, to organize a roundtable on how fintech can improve financial inclusion.

The event will be hosted by Thomson Reuters. Panelists will include Colin Waugh, who is currently researching investment in socially inclusive financial services in Southern Africa, Daniel Tsegai, an Eritrean citizen seeking for asylum in Switzerland, Michael Diaz, a member of the managing board of the Alternative Bank Switzerland (ABS), Karim Maizar, a lawyer and partner at Kellerhals, specialized in startup/finance and personally interested in refugee topics.

IFZ Fintech Conference

Lucerne School of Business, Institute of Financial Services Zug

February 28, 2018

The IFZ Fintech Conference will cover some of the hottest trends in fintech including robo-advisors, cryptocurrency, blockchain and initial coin offerings, among others. It will feature a presentation of the results of the IFZ Fintech study, and participants will hear about recent developments in the field of fintech from speakers from Saxo Bank, IFZ, IBM Research, Bancor, and more.

The event is targeted at managers and decision-makers in banks, or anybody involved in the field of financial services or IT.

China-Swiss Fintech Forum

UBS Grunenhof, Zurich

March 07, 2018

At the inaugural China-Swiss Fintech Forum, hosted by Asia Society Switzerland and UBS, three speakers will provide insights into China‘s fintech scene and the trends that shape it.

These speakers are Carl Yeung, CFO of Qudian, one of China’s largest P2P lending companies, Zhao Hongqiang, CFO of 100Credit, a company specializing in big data analysis for banks and other financial institutions, and Wei Hopeman, co-founder and managing director of Arbor Ventures, one of the largest fintech focused venture funds in Asia.

Blockchain Summit Zurich

Zurich

March 07-08, 2018

The Blockchain Summit Zurich will be a two-day event featuring a series of high-level tutorials and a multi-speaker conference with presentations and interactive discussions.

Blockchain experts and thought-leaders will examine the emerging blockchain technology and its contributions to settlement systems in multiple industry sectors. They will analyze the impact of blockchain on various industries, as well as the challenges and opportunities that the technology presents.

Topics covered will include blockchain systems, blockchain applications, initial coin offerings, digital tokens, blockchain regulation, cryptocurrencies, and more.

Register now and get 15% off with code: FT15

Going beyond the proof of concept

Blue Monkey, Zurich

March 13, 2018

This panel discussion, organized by the Swiss Finance + Technology Association, will go beyond the standard “proof of concept” to look at what are the most effective approaches for startups to acquire large corporate clients. The event will also look at how companies can effectively manage their engagements with startups.

Three panel experts with years of experience will cover the topic: Oliver Werneyer of ImBurse, Barbara Wagner of Zurich Insurance, and Bernard Lunn of Daily Fintech Advisors.

The panel will be moderated by John Hucker, the president of the Swiss Finance + Technology Association.

FINTECH 2018 Paradigmenwechsel Open Banking

The Dolder Grand, Zurich

March 15, 2018

The FINTECH 2018 Paradigmenwechsel Open Banking event will focus on the future of financial services in Switzerland as new regulations such as PSD2 come into effect.

The event will feature industry experts and thought-leaders from Saxo Bank, Swisscom Blockchain, Credit Suisse, and more.

Swiss Fintech Awards Night 2018

The Dolder Grand, Zurich

March 18, 2018

The annual Swiss Fintech Awards event aims to promote regional development while helping create the strongest possible Swiss fintech ecosystem underpinned by unprecedented international network links.

The awards specifically recognize outstanding Swiss based fintech startups and influencers. The winners are chosen by a renowned jury consisting of a network of partner organisations and fintech experts.

The award categories are Early Stage Startup of the Year, Growth Stage Startup of the Year, and Fintech Influencer of the Year.

Finance 2.0

Schiffbau Zurich

March 20, 2018

The Finance 2.0 conference is coming back this year and will focus on the change of paradigm: from CRM, the classic Customer Relationship Management, to CRM, a Customer-Managed Relationship.

Blockchain Summit – Crypto Valley

Zurich

April 25-26, 2018

The 2nd edition of the Blockchain Summit – Crypto Valley will bring together innovative startups and cutting-edge corporations using distributed ledger technology in a multi-industry themed event.

This year’s summit will focus on the intersection of enterprise and startup approaches to building new things with distributed ledger technology – with special guests from the Middle East as well.

Topics will include blockchain in the Middle East, real estate, blockchain for social good, banking and finance, government and identity, and more.

Crypto Valley Conference 2018

Zug

June 20-22, 2018

The Crypto Valley Conference on Blockchain Technology 2018 will bring together leading researchers, entrepreneurs, startups and established companies from all over the world to share and discuss state of the art advances and developments in the blockchain technology ecosystem.

The event will cover topics ranging from fintech, healthtech, medtech and insurtech, to cryptocurrency, energy and the Internet-of-Things.