05-29, 14:00–14:55 (CET), Flower
As decentralized finance (DeFi) matures and traditional finance (TradFi) begins experimenting with tokenized assets, the lines between the two are starting to blur. Can decentralized protocols and traditional finance ever truly integrate? Or are they destined to remain parallel systems?
From regulatory tensions and compliance risks to the rise of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), this session dives into what it truly takes to connect two financial worlds built on fundamentally different assumptions.
I lead People Operations and recruitment at CoW DAO. I'm a passionate advocate for DeFi and actively contribute to the space
GTM and Ecosystem growth manager with strong focus on RWA and institutional adoption at BNB Chain.
Cedric Maloux is a seasoned tech entrepreneur and investor based in Prague. He’s the CEO of StartupYard, the longest-running tech accelerator in Central Europe, and has guided over 100 startups through early growth and fundraising. With a background in AI and a career spanning multiple successful ventures, he also serves as an official French Trade Advisor and President of French Tech Prague. As a partner for The FinTechers, Cedric guides and supports our founders.
Michal Ciffra is a founding partner at DEPO Ventures, one of the most active first-ticket VC funds in Central and Eastern Europe, with a strong focus on fintech and deep tech. At DEPO, he leads investment strategy and portfolio development, supporting early-stage startups from pre-seed through their growth journey. Michal is an early investor in companies like Tatum.io, Flowpay, and a co-founder of The FinTechers, an accelerator and CEE-wide fintech community designed to connect top fintech founders with banks, investors, and regulators. He is also a recognized mentor and angel syndicate leader, actively shaping the startup ecosystem across Europe.
Patrik Nový heads KB SmartSolutions, the venture arm of Komerční banka/Société Générale that invests in and builds high-growth fintechs shaping the future of Czech banking. A serial financial-services innovator, Patrik co-founded award-winning Direct Insurance after five years steering the digital transformation of Česká pojišťovna. His earlier career began in strategy consulting with McKinsey & Company and EEIP. Patrik holds a master’s in economics from Charles University, studied in Seattle, and won the Czech Economic Society’s Young Economist award. Away from the boardroom he is most likely on a mountain trail or lining up for a half-marathon—he has organised dozens of community Terry Fox Runs. Expect straight-talk, data-driven insight and a passion for alliances that benefit both banks and start-ups.