Uzbekistan is set to host the inaugural Silk Road Finance and Technology Forum in August, a new international event aimed at advancing the country’s role as a regional hub for financial technology and innovation.
According to a joint announcement by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan and the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), the forum will take place in Tashkent from August 24 to 26, 2026. The event will be held at Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan and the Islamic Civilization Centre. It is expected to bring together policymakers, regulators, investors, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders from Central Asia and beyond.
The organizers describe the forum as Uzbekistan’s flagship platform for discussions on finance, innovation, and public policy. It is being launched as the country pursues an ambitious strategy to become a leading fintech center in the region.
Uzbekistan’s financial technology sector has expanded rapidly in recent years, driven by growing digital adoption and a young population of more than 37 million people. According to the organizers, nearly 70% of the population now uses digital services, creating favorable conditions for the development of financial technologies.
The forum comes as Uzbekistan implements a presidential strategy for the sector through 2030. The plan includes attracting $1 billion in foreign investment, training more than 5,000 specialists, licensing more than 200 market participants, supporting more than 100 startup graduates from incubation programs, and testing digital currencies and stable tokens.
The Central Bank has also announced plans to expand the country’s financial innovation infrastructure. These initiatives include the creation of a globally accessible Regulatory Sandbox 2.0, the Q-FINEX Quantum Finance Testbed, and a dedicated $50 million venture fund for fintech development. Authorities are also working on regulatory frameworks covering open banking, digital payments, buy now, pay later services, and cybersecurity resilience.
The three-day forum will be organized around five main themes: open banking, digital assets and stablecoins, cross-border payments, Islamic finance, and innovation and investment.
The event’s theme, “Al-Jabr,” references the Arabic concept of “bringing parts together,” which gave rise to algebra, and honors the legacy of the ninth-century scholar Al-Khwarizmi, who was born in Khwarezm, in present-day Uzbekistan. Organizers say the theme points to the forum’s goal of linking finance with technology policy.
The forum is being co-hosted with Ant International and joins GFTN’s global network of events, which includes the Singapore FinTech Festival, the Point Zero Forum in Zurich, GFTN Forum Japan, and the Black Swan Summits.
“Innovation flourishes when trust, talent and capital converge,” said Sopnendu Mohanty, group CEO of GFTN. He said the forum would help connect global expertise with regional ambitions and support Central Asia’s emergence as a center for financial innovation.
GFTN is a Singapore-based not-for-profit organization established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2024. It promotes financial innovation and inclusion through partnerships with public- and private-sector institutions.
