What will the bank of the future look like and, more importantly, how will it transform the way customers interact with banking?

This was a key focus at ENGAGE London 2026, Backbase’sglobal event, which brought together representatives from more than 100 banks from around the world to explore the next generation of banking, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.

Jet Bank took its place on this global digital banking stage alongside leading institutions such as Navy Federal Credit Union, Coutts, and Banca Generali, sharing its experience of building Albania’s first 100% digital bank from the ground up.

Jet Bank CEO Fatbardha Rino shared the story and vision behind the bank’s creation: how to build a modern bank without the constraints of legacy systems, by making the right choices in technology, architecture, and strategic partnerships from the outset, while placing the customer experience at the heart of every operation.

“Building a bank from scratch gives you freedom, but also the responsibility to rethink banking. In Albania, we are building the bank we would want to use ourselves: simple, accessible, and designed around the realities and fast pace of our customers’ lives,” said Rino.

This was also one of the key themes of ENGAGE London 2026: the banks of the future will not be defined solely by the products they offer, but by how technology enables them to become faster, more intuitive, and more relevant to their customers.

Another important point of discussion focused on trust and how it is built in modern banking. As the relationship between banks and their customers becomes increasingly digital, trust is shaped not only by a long - standing reputation, but also through the right experiences. Every interaction that is simple, intuitive, transparent and relevant to the customer contributes to building and strengthening a trusted relationship with the bank.

At a time when Agentic AI, Banking OS, and automation are reshaping the global financial industry, digital transformation is not a future project for Jet Bank. It has been embedded in the way the bank was designed and built from day one.

Backbase CEO, Jouk Pleiter described the launch of a record number of new Agentic Banking capabilities at the event as a proud milestone. Powered by Banking OS, these capabilities enable banks to operate as a unified and integrated whole. Pleiter also highlighted the exceptionally positive response from customers.

Jet Bank’s presence at ENGAGE London 2026 demonstrated that innovation in banking does not come only from the world’s largest markets. Albania can play an active role in the international conversation and provide a real-world example of how the next generation of banks can be built and operated.