On August 11, 2026, in Hanoi, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) held a press conference to announce the Banking Sector Digital Transformation Event 2026. This year's event is themed “Smart Banking in the Era of Data and AI", with the overarching message "Data Leads the Way, AI Drives Progress, Banks Build the Digital Ecosystem". The press conference was jointly chaired by leaders of the Payment Department, the Information Technology Department, and the Banking Times.
Leaders of the Payment Department, the Information Technology Department, and the Banking Times jointly chair the press conference
The event will take place from August 18 to 19, 2026, at the I.C.E. International Exhibition Center, 91 Tran Hung Dao Street, Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi. The opening ceremony and main conference will be held on the morning of August 18, while the exhibition area will remain open to the public and businesses until noon on August 19, 2026. The event is expected to attract more than 300 delegates and feature approximately 21 exhibition booths from hosted by credit institutions, payment intermediary service providers, and technology companies.
This year’s event introduces several new features, notably an expanded exhibition space and opportunities for public participation. The exhibition will be organized under the theme "Smart Banking Technology Festival", welcoming not only conference delegates and invited guests but also members of the public, household businesses, enterprises, and partners to explore and experience digital banking products and services throughout the event.
The event stage will adopt a flexible "closed–open" design, ensuring the formality of official sessions while allowing seamless connection with the exhibition area following the opening ceremony. This format is expected to bring the banking sector's digital transformation achievements closer to people and businesses.
Interactive experiences will also be significantly enhanced. Exhibition booths will serve as hands-on experience stations where visitors can open bank accounts and obtain payment cards using eKYC procedures on-site; experience QR code payments, Tap-to-Pay, biometric authentication, voice recognition, and AI-powered financial assistants.
Household businesses and enterprises will also have the opportunity to receive consultancy and register directly for payment acceptance solutions, VietQRGlobal, cash flow management services, e-invoicing, and tax declaration and payment solutions.
Another highlight will be the "Tap & Shop Digital Supermarket", where visitors can experience modern payment methods, including bank cards, QR code payments, e-wallets, and cross-border QR payments between Vietnam and partner countries. The area is designed to demonstrate the practical benefits and convenience of cashless payments in everyday life.
At the press conference, representatives of the Payment Department and the Information Technology Department answered questions from reporters concerning the banking sector's digital transformation achievements, the implementation roadmap for the Banking Sector Digital Transformation Strategy to 2030, the development of cashless payments, and measures to strengthen cybersecurity, information security, and customer protection in the provision and use of digital banking services.