Bitcoin News

Story: BancaStato Partners with Sygnum and Avaloq to Offer Bitcoin Trading to Ticino Clients

By Jean-Luc Maracon

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Off-Balance Sheet Custody and No Separate Order System. The issue of asset custody is often a sticking point in such setups.

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BancaStato Joins a Network of Over 25 Swiss Institutions. BancaStato is not alone in this venture. It joins Zuger Kantonalbank and over 25 other banks and…

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The cantonal bank of Ticino is entering the crypto world. BancaStato, established in 1915 and located in southern Switzerland, has just launched a regulated cryptocurrency…

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No new app to download, no separate account to open. BancaStato customers can now buy, hold, and sell Bitcoin using the same interfaces they use for their current accounts,…

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From the launch, clients can place market orders for Bitcoin (BTC) and other cryptocurrencies, based either on a specific quantity or a value in US dollars.

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The issue of asset custody is often a sticking point in such setups. BancaStato has opted for an institutional-grade custody solution, subject to independent external audits.

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The integration relies on Sygnum's B2B API, without a separate order management system. Fewer technological layers, lower costs, less operational complexity.

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Curzio De Gottardi, head of the bank's products and services, sees this launch as a natural extension of the existing offering, which combines traditional and digital assets in a…

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BancaStato is not alone in this venture. It joins Zuger Kantonalbank and over 25 other banks and financial institutions already on Sygnum's B2B platform.

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More context: Satsuma Dumps $43M Bitcoin Treasury Less Than a Year After $218M Raise

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Also read: Satsuma Sells Off $43 Million Bitcoin Stash Less Than a Year After Raising $218 Million

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Other cantonal banks have moved into the same space recently. Zürcher Kantonalbank — the country's fourth-largest bank — has introduced Bitcoin trading and custody. St.

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Sygnum, for its part, is not limited to brokerage. The bank has developed Bitcoin-backed loans, including a partnership with Relai for BTC-backed loans, and a $50 million…

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And then there's the license. Sygnum holds a Swiss banking license, but also — since June 30, 2026 — a crypto asset service provider license under the EU's crypto asset market…

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What does this change for EU banks still hesitating? Probably another argument to take the plunge without building the entire infrastructure from scratch.

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