We’re very happy to announce that we received the FinTech Austria Award. This is a great honour for us, as we see this is as a testament to how we are actively shaping the vibrant and rapidly growing Viennese FinTech scene.

As part of the FinTech Week Vienna we also hosted our own event, where Bitpanda joined Forbes, the world’s leading source for reliable business and financial news, on the stage as industry experts reasoning about whether FinTechs are the new banks, why people are starting to prefer FinTechs and what roles does the media actually play in the success and publics’ trust when it comes to money.

“It’s not about confrontation, but about a collaboration between banks and FinTechs.”

Industry experts @CharlesLBovaird from @Forbes, Bitpanda COO @enzersdorfer,@FlorianWimmerAT from @blockpit_io and Markus Kapun from Bawag PSK to talk about the future of investing.#FTWV19 pic.twitter.com/SDe1Ipbd0H
— Bitpanda (@bitpanda) November 20, 2019

More than 200 people showed interest in attending Bitpanda’s event and panel discussion with industry experts and leaders; Lukas Enzersdorfer-Konrad (COO Bitpanda), Florian Wimmer (CEO Blockpit) and Marcus Kapun (CDO BAWAG P.S.K.). Together they discussed with Charles Bovaird (Forbes), the impact of cryptocurrencies and what the implementation of blockchain technology means for banks and customers.

For Charles Bovaird, Senior Contributor at Forbes, legacy banks still have an advantage in terms of heritage and market share. “In the US it’s David and Goliath at this point,’’ he said. “At Bitpanda, one of our ambitions is to redefine the world of investing for a new generation of investors who are about to enter their prime spending and working years,” said Lukas Enzersdorfer-Konrad, COO of Bitpanda.

I’m extremely happy to announce that @Bitpanda has been awarded the FinTech Austria Award for a continued innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. We are extremely proud to be recognised here in Vienna, our home base! @christiant5r pic.twitter.com/iHWCqoCqXQ
— Paul Klanschek (@TwinWinNerD) November 20, 2019

The panellists further agreed that FinTechs, as well as banks, must cooperate with each other to effectively enhance advancement and innovation. “New ideas need to be encouraged and the best suggestions for innovation should be welcomed,” said Marcus Kapun, CDO BAWAG P.S.K. Bank and continued “In the future, the implementation of blockchain in financial institutions will only increase.”

Some more impressions from the event: