hashbank named Best New Digital Bank Georgia 2026

hashbank won Best New Digital Bank Georgia 2026 in the Global Banking & Finance Review Awards, adding international recognition for the Tbilisi-based lender as it scales its mobile-first, crypto-enabled banking model. The award highlights the bank’s rapid customer growth, cross-border transfer tools and full banking license in Georgia.

Why it matters: - hashbank’s award signals that a Georgian digital bank can compete on the same footing as larger regional and international fintech brands. - The recognition underscores demand for banking that combines standard accounts, cross-border payments and digital assets in one regulated app. - The bank’s full license matters because it can take deposits and lend directly, unlike many app-based platforms that rely on narrower permissions.

What happened: - hashbank was named Best New Digital Bank Georgia 2026 in the Global Banking & Finance Review Awards. - The awards programme is run by UK financial publisher GBAF Publications Ltd. - The award was secured in July 2026 and announced in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Aug. 6, 2026. - Goga Chanadiri, CEO of hashbank, said the award is international recognition, but the main focus remains customer value.

The details: - hashbank is a fully licensed digital bank regulated by the National Bank of Georgia. - The bank was founded in 2022 by Volodymyr Nosov, Lasha Papashvili and Sulkhan Papashvili. - hashbank says it attracted more than 40,000 fully verified customers within five months of launch. - The bank offers a mobile-first app that brings fiat currency and digital assets together in one place. - Services include multi-currency accounts in GEL, USD and EUR, borderless international transfers, Visa and Mastercard cards for residents and non-residents, secure access to digital assets and Bitcoin rewards through crypto hashback. - hashbank has integrated Mastercard Move, SEPA and Visa Direct into its transfer stack. - The bank says it was the first in the region to fully launch Mastercard Move for cross-border transfers and to upgrade its SWIFT partnership to SWIFT Essentials. - In March 2026, hashbank expanded its multi-year Visa partnership by introducing a welcome bonus paid in Bitcoin. - hashbank is partnered with WhiteBIT, which it describes as Europe’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by traffic. - The group says it serves about 8 million users on WhiteBIT and roughly 35 million across its wider ecosystem. - The company website listed in the release is hashbank.ge. - The release also includes social links for LinkedIn and Facebook.

Between the lines: - The award suggests Global Banking & Finance Review is rewarding banks that can prove both innovation and execution, not just product novelty. - hashbank’s pitch is broader than digital banking alone, with crypto and traditional finance positioned as one regulated experience. - The WhiteBIT connection gives hashbank a built-in crypto ecosystem that most standalone digital banks do not have.

What's next: - hashbank is likely to keep leaning on its cross-border and crypto-linked features as it expands in Georgia and beyond. - The bank’s challenge is to convert early customer growth and awards into durable scale, retention and transaction volume. - Global Banking & Finance Review will continue to publish annual winners across banking, finance and technology categories.