BancaStato has begun offering cryptocurrency trading and custody to its clients through its existing digital banking channels, becoming the latest Swiss bank to use Sygnum’s regulated digital-asset infrastructure. Customers of the Ticino-based cantonal bank can now buy, sell and hold Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin and Solana through the same online and mobile applications used for conventional accounts and payments.
The service was launched through an integration between Sygnum’s banking platform and Avaloq’s core banking software, the three companies said. The arrangement gives BancaStato a route into crypto trading without requiring clients to open accounts with a separate digital-asset provider or use an external exchange interface.
For a regional state-backed bank, the move places crypto alongside more familiar wealth and banking products rather than treating it as a standalone speculative service. It also reflects the Swiss banking sector’s preference for incorporating digital assets into established compliance, client-reporting and custody processes.
Crypto orders placed inside BancaStato’s banking app
BancaStato clients can access the four supported cryptocurrencies directly through their standard banking login. The bank said the service covers trading and custody, allowing account holders to view and manage their token positions within the same environment as their fiat balances and other financial products.
The initial asset list is relatively narrow. Bitcoin and Ether account for the majority of activity across the crypto market, while Litecoin and Solana add exposure to two established alternative networks. Limiting the launch to four tokens may allow BancaStato to manage operational and compliance requirements before considering any expansion of the offering.
The bank has not positioned the rollout as a replacement for self-custody or specialist crypto platforms. Its model instead targets clients who want a bank-managed way to obtain exposure to digital assets, with trading, account access and asset reporting tied to an existing banking relationship.
That structure could appeal to customers who have avoided crypto platforms because of onboarding friction, fragmented account management or uncertainty over which provider holds their assets. It also gives BancaStato control over how the service is presented and supervised within its own client channels.
Sygnum and Avaloq provide the underlying infrastructure
The launch relies on Sygnum’s application programming interface, or API, connected to Avaloq’s platform. An API is a technical connection that allows separate software systems to exchange data and process instructions. In this case, it enables crypto orders and holdings information to flow through the bank’s existing banking system.
According to Sygnum, the integration removes the need for BancaStato to build a separate order-management system for digital assets. That can shorten the operational path for banks entering the market, since they can use systems already handling client records, transaction monitoring and account reporting.
Avaloq, which is headquartered in Zurich, supplies core and digital banking technology to financial institutions. Its partnership with Sygnum is designed to make regulated crypto services available through the same technology stack used for more traditional banking products.
The arrangement divides responsibilities between the parties. BancaStato remains the customer-facing institution and must meet the regulatory obligations that apply to its domestic business. Sygnum supplies regulated trading and custody infrastructure, while Avaloq connects those capabilities to the bank’s operational software.
This model avoids requiring each bank to establish a full crypto custody and trading operation internally, an undertaking that can involve specialist security systems, blockchain transaction controls and dedicated operational teams. It also means the quality of the customer experience will depend heavily on how closely the digital-asset functions are integrated into the bank’s familiar tools.
Sygnum’s banking network expands
BancaStato joins more than 25 financial institutions using Sygnum’s business-to-business platform, according to Sygnum. The company’s partners include Societe Generale-FORGE, Swiss state-owned PostFinance and VZ Depotbank.
The growing roster gives Sygnum a role as a behind-the-scenes infrastructure provider rather than solely a direct digital-asset bank. Its strategy centres on enabling other regulated institutions to offer crypto products under their own brands and customer relationships.
For banks, that approach can be more practical than sending clients to third-party trading venues. A bank can retain control of onboarding, client communications and suitability processes while using specialised infrastructure for the parts of crypto operations that are harder to build internally.
The model also creates a more defined separation between consumer-facing banking and the technical machinery of digital-asset markets. Customers interact with their own bank, while the infrastructure provider handles functions such as custody and trade execution under the arrangements agreed with each institution.
MiCA licence supports European distribution
Sygnum has also extended its regulated presence in Europe through Sygnum Europe AG, its Liechtenstein-based entity. The firm said Liechtenstein’s Financial Market Authority granted the unit authorization as a crypto-asset service provider under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, known as MiCA.
MiCA creates a common regulatory framework for crypto-asset services across the European Union. A licence granted in one participating jurisdiction can provide a pathway for approved firms to offer services across other EU markets, subject to the rules governing passporting and national implementation.
Sygnum said the Liechtenstein authorization allows its European unit to serve clients across EU jurisdictions and gives partner banks a regulated connection to its infrastructure. The company said participating institutions continue to carry responsibility for meeting the regulatory requirements in their own markets.
The licence arrives as banks across Europe weigh whether to offer crypto services directly, partner with specialist providers or remain on the sidelines. BancaStato’s launch shows how an established bank can add a limited range of digital assets through an external regulated platform while keeping the customer relationship within its own banking environment.
For clients in Ticino, the immediate change is straightforward: crypto trading is now available through BancaStato’s familiar apps. For the bank, the service provides a test of whether demand for digital assets can be served within the controlled, integrated structure that customers expect from a cantonal institution.
Want seamless, regulated crypto access like BancaStato’s clients? Learn more about cryptocurrency and how it works today.
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