Category Archive: 6c) Crypto Currencies English

Sygnum Gains Unicorn Status with US$58 Million Funding Round

Sygnum, a global digital asset banking group, has secured US$ 58 million in an oversubscribed funding round, earning it unicorn status with a valuation to over US$ 1 billion. The round bolstered Sygnum’s balance sheet and CET1 capital, supporting plans for future growth. Led by Bitcoin-focused venture capital firm Fulgur Ventures, the round saw participation from new and existing investors, along with Sygnum’s co-founders, board, and team members,...

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Top EU Blockchain Trends in 2025

Public permissionless blockchains offer groundbreaking advantages like transparency, composability, and decentralization, making them strong candidates for becoming the foundation of future financial infrastructure. While these networks have the potential to transform finance by fostering open and inclusive platforms, they also face significant technical, operational, and governance challenges that must be addressed before they can fully serve as...

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The 10 Largest Crypto Acquisitions

Q4 2024 witnessed a remarkable resurgence in the cryptocurrency market, highlighted by bitcoin surpassing the historic US$100,000 milestone on December 05. This surge was fueled by significant events, notably Donald Trump’s election victory, which spurred expectations of a pro-crypto regulatory shift. South Korea also played a key role in the global trading surge, driven by an altcoin frenzy. According to CCData, a data and index solutions provider...

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Year End Message to Our Readers – Offline From 24th December to 5th January

Fintech News Switzerland would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. We will be taking a break from the 24th of December 2024 to the 5th of January 2025. Until then take a walk down memory lane with the most important stories in Switzerland’s fintech scene this year. Germany’s 12 Fastest-Growing Fintech Startups in 2024 Swiss Banks Embrace Blockchain, Prioritizing Cryptocurrencies, HSG...

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Swiss Bitcoin App Relai Raises US$12M Funding, Eyes MiCA License for EU Growth

Swiss-based cryptocurrency app Relai has secured US$12 million in funding to drive its expansion across Europe. The investment was led by ego death capital with participation from Plan B Bitcoin Fund, Timechain, and Solit Group. The heavily oversubscribed funding round will enable Relai to enhance its platform, streamline the Bitcoin buying process, and educate users on the benefits of the crypto as a savings tool. Relai also shared its plans to...

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Retail Investors Show Divergent Behaviors in Crypto versus Traditional Assets

Retail investors are showing distinct behavioral patterns when trading cryptocurrencies compared to traditional assets such as gold and stocks. Traditionally, investors tend to sell their stocks and gold when prices rise.

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Gresham’s Law: Bitcoin Will Save the World!

What explains Bitcoin? Why does it exist and why is “nothing” worth $70,000 a piece? Moreover, there are millions of owners of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and yet few real transactions take place relatively speaking. How does this relate to the coming of a BRICs currency, the reserve status of the petrodollar, and the War on Cash?

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Digital Cash: UBS Pilots Blockchain-Based Multi-Currency Payment Solution

Cross-border payments often lead to delayed settlements.  As a result, this creates a fragmented view of liquidity positions for companies. The aim is to increase transparency and security with blockchain-based payments via UBS Digital Cash which should in turn facilitate timely payment processing. In addition, companies should be able to manage intraday-liquidity and adjust liquidity buffers on their accounts more easily in the future, thanks to...

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UBS AM Debuts Its First Tokenised Fund, Expanding Blockchain Initiatives

UBS Asset Management has launched its first tokenised investment fund, the “UBS USD Money Market Investment Fund Token” (uMINT), built on Ethereum’s blockchain. This token offers investors access to institutional-grade cash management solutions backed by high-quality money market instruments within a conservative, risk-managed framework. The launch is part of UBS’ strategy to use blockchain for better fund issuance and distribution. UBS...

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Swiss Banks Embrace Blockchain, Prioritizing Cryptocurrencies, HSG Study Finds

In Switzerland, financial institutions are increasingly recognizing the long-term potential of blockchain and integrating the technology into their growth strategies. According to a new study by the University of St. Gallen, in collaboration with vision& and mintminds, more than 80% of Swiss banks are either planning to develop and actively expanding their blockchain offerings, with a particular focus on cryptocurrencies. Conducted between...

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21Shares and Crypto.com Forge Strategic Partnership

21.co, the parent company of 21Shares – one of the world’s largest issuers of crypto exchange traded products (ETPs), and Crypto.com announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership. Central to the partnership, 21.co Wrapped Bitcoin (21BTC) will source Bitcoin liquidity from Crypto.com, leveraging the exchange’s liquidity. Looking ahead, 21.co and Crypto.com intend to build on the strategic partnership, with future announcements in the...

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Taurus Partners with Aktionariat to Launch Token Secondary Market for SMEs

Swiss equity token specialist Aktionariat AG and securities firm Taurus SA announced a new partnership. Aktionariat’s tokenization tools and Taurus Digital Exchange (TDX) organized trading facility are natural complements. Under the newly announced partnership, Taurus will support selected shares tokenized with Aktionariat on the Ethereum blockchain and Aktionariat will offer client companies a smooth path towards being admitted to trading on TDX...

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LUKB bietet neu sichere Ein- und Auslieferung von Kryptowährungen an

Die Luzerner Kantonalbank (LUKB) bietet ab dem 1. Oktober 2024 ihren Kunden die Ein- und Auslieferung für die Kryptowährungen Bitcoin und Ethereum an. Bereits im Juni 2024 hat die LUKB einen Kryptoanlageplan auf den Markt gebracht und ergänzend zu Bitcoin, Ethereum und USD Coin neu auch Investitionen in die Kryptowährungen Chainlink und Polygon ermöglicht. Ab dem 1. Oktober 2024 können Kunden der LUKB ihre Kryptowährungen Bitcoin und Ethereum aus...

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FBI Crypto Report: Fraud Surges Driven by Investment Scams

In 2023, cryptocurrency fraud continued to surge globally as rising adoption of digital currencies attracted scammers seeking to exploit the hype and target credulous users. Last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received a record of 69,468 crypto-related complaints, a 33.6% increase from 2022’s ~52,000, new data released by the division show. Losses soared by a whopping 45% year-over-year (YoY)...

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Global Crypto Adoption Rises in 2024, Led by Developing Economies and ETF Launches

In 2024, global cryptocurrency activity continues to grow, with developing economies leading in crypto ownership. Adoption of the new asset class is increasing worldwide, driven in part by the launch of bitcoin and ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US, which has boosted adoption, particularly in institutional transfers and higher-income regions. However, regulatory concerns remain a key obstacle, especially in the US and UK, though Europe...

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Siemens Launches €300 Million Digital Bond on Blockchain

Siemens has again issued a digital bond in accordance with Germany’s Electronic Securities Act (Gesetz über elektronische Wertpapiere, eWpG). This follows the successful issuance of its first digital bond last year. In issuing the bond, the company is supporting the trials by the Eurosystem and the Bundesbank in particular, that are aimed at testing blockchain technology for the digital financial market. Ralf P. Thomas “Since the successful...

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The Top 11 Fintech Startups in Switzerland in 2024

11 fintechs made it to this year’s  TOP 100 Swiss Startup list, an award organized by Venturelab. The 2024 ranking features in total 100 Startups, Yokoy is once again the highest ranking fintech. Highest fintech newcomer this year is Calvin Risk on rank 44. Of the 11 fintechs 5 were repeats from the 2023 startup ranking and 6 were newcomers. Meet the 11 Swiss fintechs that made the TOP 100 Swiss Startups 2024 list: Yokoy Group AG (#3)-1 Your...

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ZKB bietet neu den Handel und die Verwahrung von Crypto an

Ab dem 4. September 2024 können Kundinnen und Kunden über die Zürcher Kantonalbank Kryptowährungen rund um die Uhr direkt im ZKB eBanking oder ZKB Mobile Banking Crypto handeln. Die Bestände der Kryptowährungen werden dabei in die bestehende Depotsicht integriert. Vorerst stehen Bitcoin und Ethereum zur Auswahl. Crypto Verwahrung Kryptowährungen nutzen die Blockchain. Mit den Chancen und Risiken dieser Technologie beschäftigt sich die Zürcher...

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SNB Study: Tornado Cash Case Highlights the Challenge of Regulating Decentralized Services

Tornado Cash, a decentralized smart contract protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain, was sanctioned in 2022 by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for its role in laundering over US$7 billion worth of illicit funds since 2019. The sanctions initially led to a drop in Tornado Cash use, weakening its ability to provide anonymity. However, transactions on the platform continue, reflecting the mixed effectiveness of sanctions...

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Review: Bitcoin: The Inverse of Clown World

Once you see a new world, you can’t unsee it.Unfolding across America and the world is a new, parallel economy—nay, even a parallel life. It started with the most promising solution to a broken money and headed downstream from there.

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