BancaStato, the cantonal bank of Ticino, launched regulated bitcoin and crypto trading through its existing banking apps via Sygnum's infrastructure. Clients can trade four digital assets including bitcoin, ether, solana and litecoin. The launch makes BancaStato the latest Swiss bank to integrate digital asset services.
BancaStato began offering regulated bitcoin and crypto trading to clients through its existing banking apps on July 23, becoming the latest Swiss lender to integrate digital assets.
"BancaStato, becoming the first bank on Avaloq's SaaS environment to enable clients to buy, hold and sell crypto via API with Sygnum directly from within its e-banking platforms, marks a significant step in the maturity and scalability of regulated digital asset infrastructure," Fritz Jost, Sygnum's chief B2B officer, said.
At launch, clients can trade bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), solana (SOL) and litecoin (LTC) using market orders placed by quantity or U.S. dollar value. Sygnum holds client assets in an institutional-grade, multi-layer custody solution built on hardware and software controls, governance processes and independent external audits, the firm said. All client assets are held off-balance sheet, a structure meant to shield holdings if the bank enters bankruptcy.
BancaStato joins Zuger Kantonalbank and more than 25 other financial institutions on Sygnum's B2B platform. Sygnum's partner banks give more than a third of the Swiss population a route to own digital assets, the firm said. The launch extends a pattern across Swiss banking: Zurcher Kantonalbank, St. Galler Kantonalbank and UBS have all added bitcoin services in the past year.
The integration runs on Sygnum's B2B API connected directly to Avaloq's core banking system, eliminating the need for a separate order management system — an approach the firms said cuts cost and complexity. BancaStato runs its core banking and digital channels on the Avaloq platform in a software-as-a-service model.
Curzio De Gottardi, the bank's head of products and services and vice-chairman of its executive board, said the launch extends BancaStato's existing product lineup. "Our seamless integration of traditional assets, investment solutions — and now digital assets — further enhances our group's future-ready offering," he said.
Sygnum holds a Swiss banking license and, since June 30, 2026, a Crypto-Asset Service Provider license under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, granted by Liechtenstein's Financial Market Authority. That license lets EU banks tap Sygnum's infrastructure to launch digital asset services.
Founded in 1915, BancaStato is the latest in a wave of European banks adding crypto services through regulated channels rather than standalone exchanges. The expansion of regulated bank-offered crypto trading in Switzerland shows a structural shift in how retail clients access bitcoin — through existing banking relationships rather than dedicated exchange accounts. With Sygnum's MiCA license opening access to EU banks, the model could replicate across Europe.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
