Venly Finance, the Belgian company building stablecoin payment infrastructure for fintechs, payment service providers, neobanks and marketplaces, has been named a winner of the France-Belgium semifinal of Mastercard For Fintechs 2026, alongside French AI company Giskard AI.

Mastercard announced Venly and Giskard AI as the winners following the semifinal held on September 22 at the Hôtel de l'Industrie in Paris, where six fintechs presented to a jury of experts from Mastercard and the European fintech ecosystem. This third edition of the programme received more than 240 applications across Europe, 63 of them from France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Venly's trophy is engraved "Mastercard For Fintechs 2026, Belux Winner".

Stablecoins are moving from trading and treasury into real-world payments. Venly Finance lets fintechs and payment companies add stablecoin accounts, conversions and payouts through one API, without building the blockchain and payment stack themselves, while keeping their own product and customer relationships.

At a glance

• 63 applications were submitted from France, Belgium and Luxembourg, with more than 240 applications across Europe.
• Venly and Giskard AI were selected as the two France-Belgium winners from six semifinalists.
• Venly Finance provides stablecoin payment infrastructure, connecting accounts, conversions and payouts through one API.
• Venly advances to the Mastercard For Fintechs European final in Milan on November 25, 2026.

Mastercard describes Venly as providing blockchain infrastructure and payment solutions that facilitate the management of digital transactions internationally. According to Mastercard, Venly and Giskard AI stood out for the relevance of their solutions and their potential impact on financial services.

"This edition confirms the dynamism and quality of the fintechs in our region. Venly and Giskard AI respond to very topical challenges around digital assets and artificial intelligence. We are proud to see them carry the colours of Belgium and France at the European final in Milan," said Benjamin Dessy, General Manager, Mastercard Belgium and Luxembourg. (Translated from the French.)

"For us, this is another strong signal that stablecoins are moving from experimentation into real payment infrastructure. Our focus has always been on making the underlying technology disappear: giving fintechs and payment companies a practical way to move money globally using stablecoins without forcing them to become blockchain companies themselves. Milan is the next step," said Tim Dierckxsens, CEO and Founder of Venly.

Venly and Giskard AI will represent Belgium and France at the European final in Milan on November 25, 2026, against the winners of the other local rounds of the programme, which runs in Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. The winner of the final receives EUR 100,000 in marketing support, preferential access to Mastercard's Start Path programme and personal mentoring from Mastercard specialists and fintech partners.

The other semifinalists were Tranched, SPORTYNEO, Cashlab and Peaky.

In May 2024, Mastercard selected Venly as one of five startups from around the world for its Start Path Blockchain and Digital Assets programme.