Blackcat honoured at MiGEA – Malta’s iGaming Excellence Awards 2026

Blackcat, the European fintech operated by Papaya Ltd, was named "Best Alternative Banking Solution of the Year" at the MiGEA – Malta's iGaming Excellence Awards 2026. The award was presented on 25th June at The Xara Lodge, Rabat, at one of Malta's established gatherings for the iGaming sector, supported by GamingMalta.

Blackcat is built on the licensed infrastructure of Papaya Ltd, an Electronic Money Institution authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority and a direct SEPA participant – processing euro transfers on its own rails, a status few EMI-based fintechs in Europe hold. The company provides EUR IBAN accounts, SEPA and SEPA Instant transfers, multi-currency payment accounts, credit-grade payment cards, serving businesses and internationally mobile consumers across the EEA.

The recognition speaks directly to the sectors the award represents. Demanding, heavily regulated industries – including iGaming – are among the hardest to serve, and are often refused or overpriced by mainstream payment providers and banks. Blackcat's infrastructure was built to onboard exactly these businesses responsibly, within a licensed framework and with the compliance controls such sectors require. Being recognised by the iGaming industry's own excellence awards reflects that capability.

"We're grateful for this recognition, and for what it stands for," said Olegs Cernisevs, Chief Technology Officer at Blackcat. "We provide regulated payment services for B2B clients: we receive their incoming funds from payment providers and handle their payouts. On top of that we issue corporate cards and run white-label card programmes for partners. These are exactly the businesses mainstream banks and providers tend to turn away, and serving them compliantly, on payment infrastructure we build and operate ourselves, is what this award reflects."

For Papaya Ltd, the award also reflects the role of Malta-licensed infrastructure in European fintech. Operating as a regulated EMI, Papaya provides the regulated euro backbone on which Blackcat and its partners build – reinforcing Malta's position as a credible base for compliant, infrastructure-grade financial services.

About Blackcat

Blackcat is a European fintech platform that combines everyday financial services – EUR IBAN accounts, SEPA transfers, cards, free internal account-to-account money transfers, cashback and bonuses – in a single multi-wallet application.

Fiat services are powered by Papaya Ltd, an Electronic Money Institution authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority and a direct SEPA participant. Registration number C55146. Client funds are safeguarded in accordance with applicable legislation. Funds held in e-money accounts are not covered by the Depositor Compensation Scheme. You can get more information about terms and conditions on the website blackcat.app The bonus payment is a part of the loyalty program provided by Baltic Technology Solutions OU. Detailed terms and conditions can be found here.