Post by Sergei Lishchenko

Six countries. Two weeks. A region that's quietly becoming one of the most exciting stories in European finance. A few weeks ago I wrapped a trip across Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Czechia, and Poland -- sitting down with clients and prospects to talk about where brokerage technology is heading and how ViewTrade fits in. A few things stood out in each market: 🇸🇮 Slovenia: small, sharp, and punching above its size. Its economy posted the strongest growth in the entire euro area in Q1 2026. With new individual investment accounts rolling out this year, the appetite to deepen capital markets is real. 🇭🇷 Croatia: momentum you can feel. Since adopting the euro and joining Schengen, it has consistently outpaced EU growth. A market opening up fast. 🇭🇺 Hungary: Budapest is a genuine fintech and financial-services hub. The city stands well above the national average economically, while Hungary’s fintech ecosystem remains active, with over 200 domestic fintech companies and continued focus on digitalization. Entrepreneurial energy is everywhere. 🇱🇹 Lithuania: the Baltic surprise. It's the EU's leading fintech hub, with the sector employing more than 8,000 people and serving some 40 million customers across Europe. Fitch just upgraded it to A+. Few markets this size move this fast. 🇨🇿 Czechia: prosperous, stable, and knows exactly what it wants. Unemployment near 2.8% is among the lowest in Europe, with a maturing investor base demanding more from its technology partners. 🇵🇱 Poland: the powerhouse. It crossed the $1 trillion mark in 2025 to become the EU's sixth-largest economy, growing 3.6% — well ahead of the EU average. The depth of its retail investing culture makes it one of the most dynamic markets in Europe right now. Here's what strikes me every time I travel in a global role like this: the differences are real. Regulations, investor behavior, and market maturity vary from one market to the next, but the underlying need is remarkably consistent. Fast, reliable, flexible access to global markets. That's exactly where technology becomes the differentiator. Because ViewTrade operates with a global outlook, we don't build one-size-fits-all. We build modular, adaptable infrastructure that meets each market where it is -- and that perspective only gets sharper the more clients and people I learn from around the world. Grateful for the conversations and the hospitality. The opportunity across Central and Eastern Europe is real, and we're just getting started. #Fintech #Brokerage #EmbeddedFinance #CapitalMarkets #CEE