Traditional financial institutions are still leery about decentralized cryptocurrencies. They are only starting to explore the potential of digital assets. But a new breed of banks specializing in crypto have been working hard to take advantage of this trend and are gaining regulatory recognition around the world.
Also read: How to Start With Bitcoin at No Cost
Swiss Crypto Banks Are Going Global
Switzerland has established itself as a leading crypto-friendly nation and several hundred companies from the industry are currently operating out of the crypto valley centered in the canton of Zug. The country’s financial regulators have been gradually opening towards the nascent sector. Traditional banks have been reluctant to serve entities dealing with cryptocurrencies but competition from new businesses focusing specifically on the crypto market is likely to change that.
In August, the Financial Market Supervisory Authority (Finma) licensed two companies to provide banking services to Swiss-based crypto businesses and also trade securities. Zug-registered Seba Crypto and Zurich-based Sygnum became Switzerland’s first regulated crypto banks. Another entity working with digital assets, Bitcoin Suisse, applied for a banking and securities dealer license this summer. A new venture called Tallyon expects the green light from Finma to become a ‘next generation’ private bank employing blockchain tech and working with cryptocurrencies.
These companies are not restricting themselves to Switzerland only. In late October, Sygnum was granted a capital markets services license in Singapore. According to a report by Swissinfo, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has authorized the crypto bank to provide asset management services in the Southeast Asian city-state. Seba Crypto, which is currently focusing primarily on its upcoming launch in Switzerland, is in talks with the MAS but is yet to apply for a
