Articles | Ekmel Çilingir
For many years, the fintech story was told as a private-sector story. Startups would move faster than banks, use technology better, reduce costs, improve customer experience and fo
Stablecoins emerged to solve one of the earliest practical problems in crypto markets: volatility. Stablecoins introduced a simple proposition: combine the speed and programmabilit
For more than a decade, central banks have been preparing for the future of digital money. The assumption was simple: if money becomes digital, governments will design it, regulate
Every few years, the same question returns to global finance: Will the US dollar lose its reserve currency status? It is an important question, but it is no longer the most useful
War is no longer a tail risk. It is a line item. For decades, geopolitical disruption sat at the margins of financial models — acknowledged, disclosed, and largely discounted. It
With a background deeply rooted in understanding economic and financial systems, I found the 2025 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences both illuminating and timely. It reminds us of th
In the first half of 2025, I attended three defining gatherings of the global fintech community: Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, Money20/20 Asia in Bangkok, and Seamless Middle Eas
Signs of economic revival emerged both within Lithuania and across Europe in 2024. We witnessed a period of recovery and positive momentum for businesses in Lithuania. Businesses i
Even though it is fairer weather in crypto markets now, with the value of crypto assets having peaked at $3.91 trillion in mid-December 2024, an estimated 659 million users worldwi
The new year is fast approaching, and banks are no exception to feeling its jitters. Throughout this year, I have shared my points of view on the most relevant banking topics on Li
The recent years have seen numerous banks, both in Europe and worldwide, restructure strategically to adapt to technology, new regulatory standards as well as economic and geostrat
Our customers have probably noticed that nowadays, European bankers and financial experts are referring to many abbreviations: CRD6, CRR3, MICAR, PSD3, DORA Act, Climate Risk Guide
As I perused the speeches, reports and opinions of Europe’s esteemed policymakers, economists and industry experts on the significant changes in the European banking ecosystem in
Lars Christensen, First Secretary of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Vilnius, received Dr Ozan Ozerk, Founder of European Merchant Bank (EMBank). Dr Ozan Ozerk is a serial entrepren
Lithuania is often cited as an emerging fintech centre in Europe. In a meeting with Elijus Čivilis, CEO of Invest Lithuania, Dr Ozan Ozerk, founder of EMBank, shared his insights
Turkish Ambassador to Lithuania Görkem Baris Tantekin received representatives of the European Merchant Bank (EMBank) in Vilnius. During the visit, the Bank’s founder, Dr Oz
Late payments can have detrimental effects on businesses, with one out of four bankruptcies in the EU being attributed to overdue payments, according to data from the European Comm
The European Union (EU) aims to become a climate neutral continent by 2050. This sustainability objective undeniably influences all sectors, but particularly sensitively affects sm
In 2023, the financing of the FinTech sector has faced some serious fluctuations. The latest KPMG report shows that in the first half of 2023, global financing of the FinTech secto
Lithuania is becoming increasingly established in the Fintech sector and is gaining more international recognition. The statistics do not lie – the country is attracting more inv
The FinTech industry is picking up speed, and is changing our understanding about financial services and their uses in many fields. One of the reasons for this change is embedded f
Lately, the FinTech industry has witnessed a significant transformation due to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). This cutting-edge technology has opened up novel avenu
The value of the global financial technology (fintech) market was USD 112.5 billion last year. The same market is projected to grow threefold to reach USD 332.5 billion over the ne
“The fintech industry is like an everlasting engine. Even in the most turbulent of times, when the world is beset by crises and hardships, its revs have hardly decremented. W
Banking has advanced so much across the EU in recent years that even customers themselves do not always keep up with the innovations. In this insight, I will look at the most strik
Just over a year ago, in July 2021, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced the launch of the digital euro project. According to the ECB, the first two years will be spent on res
“Ticaret Müşavirlerimizle Elektronik Sohbetler – Litvanya” semineri
“Thorough market research has indicated several EU markets for the successful realization of potential growth, including Lithuania.
European Merchant Bank was founded in 2018 by Dr Ozan Ozerk. The work to obtain the license was led by Mr Ekmel Cilingir. Only two years after that, it became a member of Swift. Th