Nicolae Ursu

Practice Areas

Digital Banking

Non-Bank Financial Institutions (IFN)

Payment Services

E-Money & Digital Assets Payments

Fintech Infrastructure

Crowdfunding & Alternative Finance

Open Banking

Blockchain & Decentralized Applications (dApps)

Crypto-Assets

Web3

InsurTech

RegTech

Alternative Investment Funds (AIF/AIFM)

Venture Capital & Startup Finance

SaaS & Digital Platforms

Data Aggregation

Privacy & ComplianceTech

Corporate & Tech M&A

EU-Funded Financial Instruments

Public-Sector Innovation

Career

Nicolae Ursu is a founding partner of CEE Attorneys (Romania) and co-leads the firm’s FinTech, Digital Finance & TMT practice. He has over 20 years of experience in business law, having previously worked with D&B David și Baias SCA, the Romanian correspondent law firm of PwC.

Building on this foundation, Nicolae co-founded CEE Attorneys (Romania), where he developed a specialised practice at the intersection of FinTech, digital banking, payment services, crypto-assets, open banking and Tech M&A. He has since led authorisations for payment institutions and crowdfunding platforms, structured digital banking programmes, advised on MiCA-aligned crypto frameworks, and guided both regulated institutions and high-growth technology companies through PSD2/PSD3, AML/CTF, DORA and DSA compliance.

Nicolae’s expertise extends to venture capital, alternative investment funds (AIF/AIFM), SaaS platforms, data-aggregation infrastructure, privacy- and compliance-tech, as well as equity instruments and innovation programmes co-financed through EU structural funding. His dual background in corporate transactions and financial regulation enables him to advise on complex Tech M&A deals, platform acquisitions and digital-infrastructure investments.

He also serves as the Romanian coordinator for the CEE Attorneys international network and Interact Law, and manages institutional relations with the Romania–Ukraine and Romania–Israel Chambers of Commerce, supporting cross-border cooperation in technology, investment and innovation.

Professional Memberships

Bucharest Bar Association

International Relations Coordinator for the CEE Attorneys network

Country representative for Interact Law (Global Legal network)

Institutional Relations Coordinator for the Romania–Ukraine and Romania–Israel Chambers of Commerce

Publications

Key Publications:

CEE Legal Matters – Will the New AML 5 Legal Framework Restrict Transactions with Virtual Currency in Romania? a landscape under Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA)

Speaking Engagements:

Fintech Hub Chișinău 2024 – Speaker on “Expansion of Fintech in the EU – Regulation & Opportunity”

Contributor to regional fintech and digital-finance events and expert panels

Industry Engagement:

Participant in CFO Talks hosted by Finqware, alongside IFC and the EIB Group, offering regulatory insights on compliance and digital finance

Advisor for clients initiatives recognised at the ROFintech Innovation Awards 2024, reinforcing his role in shaping Romania’s fintech ecosystem

Personal

Nicolae maintains a strong professional focus on the intersection between financial regulation and emerging technologies. He applies a multidisciplinary perspective that integrates legal, technical and policy considerations, supporting clients in developing compliant, scalable and innovation-driven digital solutions.

With an international outlook and proficiency in several languages, he is experienced in working across jurisdictions and coordinating cross-border projects involving digital finance, decentralised technologies and regulatory transformation.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Romania

European Union (EU)

CEE Region (Central & Eastern Europe)

Cross-Border EU Passporting

Multi-Jurisdictional FinTech Operations

Experience

Nicolae Ursu is a Partner with extensive experience in financial regulation, fintech innovation and technology-driven legal matters. He advises across the full spectrum of digital finance, including the licensing of payment institutions and crowdfunding platforms, the structuring of digital banking programmes, PSD2/PSD3 compliance, AML/CFT frameworks, open-banking and data-aggregation models, and MiCA-aligned crypto-asset and tokenisation structures.

He has acted on mandates involving the authorisation and EU passporting of regulated platforms, the development of alternative investment structures (AIF/AIFM), venture financing rounds, and regulatory support for SaaS and platform-based business models. His work also covers digital compliance and operational resilience under DORA, DSA and GDPR, as well as large-scale technology, automation and digital-transformation projects.

Nicolae regularly assists both high-growth fintech companies and established financial institutions, in addition to supporting public authorities involved in EU-funded equity instruments and innovation programmes. His cross-sector practice further encompasses corporate and commercial advisory, tech-driven M&A, procurement, and regulatory guidance for digital infrastructure, Web3 applications and emerging technologies.

Clients

Salt Bank, Pago, StartPay, Fagura Finance, Finqware, Pay By UXO, E-Mag, SoftLoans, CapitalBox, Options Financial Services, Moonlet, Oveit, GambIT Digital, XiSoft, Bunyshell, Sypher, Semtop IFN SA, BCR Social Finance IFN SA, Affinity Transport Solutions, Affinity Leasing IFN, Sparking Capital, Smart Equity, V7 Capital, EMSA Capital, Stefanini, OPI Capital, CCHBC (Coca Cola Romania), Dataware Consulting, BRD - Groupe Société Générale, ADR Nord-Vest, ADR Centru

Industry Sector Expertise

Digital banking & neobanking – regulatory structuring, product design and compliance for emerging and established digital banks.

Payment services & e-money – licensing, PSD2/PSD3 alignment, AML/CTF frameworks, outsourcing and risk governance.

Crowdfunding & alternative finance – full regulatory support for lending and investment-based platforms under EU 2020/1503.

Open banking & data aggregation – treasury automation, API governance and cross-border PSD2 compliance.

Blockchain, crypto-assets & Web3 – tokenisation, digital-asset infrastructure, NFT architectures and MiCA readiness.

InsurTech & RegTech – digital compliance, DORA, DSA, cybersecurity, governance and platform regulation.

Alternative investment funds (AIF/AIFM) – fintech-aligned fund structures, private capital strategies and EU-funded equity/ capital risk instruments.

Technology & digital platforms – SaaS solutions, automation tools, privacy-tech, and enterprise digital transformation.

Public-sector innovation – EU-backed financial instruments, fund manager selection and regulatory design.

Work Highlights

Fagura Finance – full licensing as a crowdfunding service provider under Regulation (EU) 2020/1503 and EU-wide passporting.

Timesafe (Pago) – preparation and submission of the first draft licensing file for authorisation as a payment institution before the National Bank of Romania.

StartPay - preparation and submission of the complete licensing file for authorisation as a payment institution before the National Bank of Romania.

Salt Bank – structuring and legal implementation of the bank’s Founders Programme, including regulatory analysis, product design and documentation.

Finqware – regulatory and corporate advisory for open-banking and treasury-automation operations across Europe.

Jaxable (Moonlet) – MiCA-readiness, NFT infrastructure structuring/burning program and cross-border token-related compliance.

Sypher – regulatory and data-protection support for a leading privacy-tech platform.

Affinity Transport Solutions & Affinity Leasing IFN – regulatory advisory, including deregistration processes before the National Bank of Romania.

Sparking Capital, Smart Equity and OPI Capital – AIF/AIFM regulatory assistance, governance structuring and investment-related matters.

BRD – Groupe Société Générale – support on digital operational resilience regulatory frameworks.

Oil & Gas group – digital compliance advisory, including Digital Services Act implementation.

Regional Development Agencies North-West and Centre (ADR) – structuring and procurement support for selection of Fund Manager; ERDF-backed equity financial instruments.

Languages Spoken

Romanian, English, Russian

Education