Swiss Crypto Bank Approved for Singapore Fund Management License

Published at: Oct. 31, 2019

Swiss-based cryptocurrency bank Sygnum has received the go-ahead to offer investment services in Singapore.

Sygnum: license is “important milestone”

In a blog post on Oct. 31, Sygnum, which gained a Swiss banking license in August this year, can now proceed with its first product for the Singapore market.

Sygnum was the first Swiss company to win the title of cryptocurrency bank and will target accredited investors and institutions with a multi-manager fund, which will also debut in its home jurisdiction.

Long on the cards, the Singapore documentation comes in the form of a capital markets services (CMS) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Asian city state’s de facto central bank. 

Sygnum’s head of asset management, Stefan Mueller, commented in the press release:

“The CMS license is an important milestone to establishing our asset management arm, leveraging the vibrant financial environment in Singapore. This is complementary to our banking services in Switzerland and will also benefit our Swiss institutional and private qualified investor clients.” 

Execs reveal major Swiss crypto interest

As Cointelegraph reported, Singapore continues to position itself as a friendly environment for cryptocurrency and blockchain businesses. 

MAS is part of the government structure looking to integrate the emerging technologies with state activities and beyond, as its Project Ubin finance scheme is set to commence operations next year. 

Sygnum meanwhile is also eyeing expansion into markets such as Hong Kong, as well as in Europe. In September, Peter Wuffli, the ex-UBS head who is now a board member at the company, underscored his desire to tap the full potential of the cryptocurrency market.

“Thousands of clients have contacted us for a one-stop-shop for asset custody, loans and trading cryptocurrencies seamlessly with fiat currencies,” he revealed.

Tags
Related Posts
Switzerland’s First Licensed Crypto Bank Is Eyeing Singapore Next
Sygnum is in talks with local regulators to seal a banking license in Singapore, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 28. The cryptocurrency firm has only just been issued a conditional banking and securities dealer license in Switzerland — and now aims to become a fully regulated bank on the island nation so it can provide a full suite of financial services. Becoming a full-fledged, regulated crypto bank Sygnum co-founder and chief strategy officer Gerald Goh said its application for the Singapore license will get underway once it becomes a fully fledged Swiss bank later this year. The financial services it would …
Ethereum / Aug. 28, 2019
Swiss crypto bank Sygnum scores approval for digital asset trading
Sygnum, a major cryptocurrency bank in Switzerland, is preparing to finally introduce digital asset trading after receiving regulatory approval. On Sept. 1, Sygnum announced that it received regulatory approval from the Financial Market Supervisory Authority, allowing the company to expand its services to a digital asset trading facility. The new approval enables Sygnum to “cover the complete life-cycle of a security,” starting from services such as primary issuance, settlement and custody to secondary trading. As part of Sygnum’s new capabilities, users now have access to instant settlement via the Sygnum-issued stablecoin Digital Swiss franc (DCHF). In conjunction with the news …
Adoption / Sept. 2, 2020
Singapore Crypto Association Launches Code of Practice
The Association of Cryptocurrency Enterprises and Startups, Singapore (ACCESS), has developed a Code of Practice in partnership with multinational law firm Linklaters. A Global Legal Post report published Aug. 19 revealed that ACCESS had the support of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) — the country’s central bank and regulatory authority — and also consulted the Association of Banks in Singapore to launch the new initiative. Tackling AML/CFT Risks The new Code of Practice falls within the scope of ACCESS’ “Standardization of Practice in Crypto Entities,” which provides detailed Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) guidelines (including …
Bitcoin Regulation / Aug. 19, 2019
Growth of Crypto Industry Could Threaten Banks, Financial Stability: Basel Committee
International banking authority the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) has issued a warning statement on crypto assets on March 13. The BCBS is a committee of banking supervisory authorities hosted and supported by the Switzerland-based Bank for International Settlements (BIS) — an organization made up of 60 of the world’s central banks In today’s statement, the committee warned that the robust growth of the crypto industry could potentially “raise financial stability concerns and increase risks faced by banks.” The committee noted the risks were present despite the crypto market’s currently small scale in relation to the scope of the …
Bitcoin Regulation / March 13, 2019
BIS: 70% of Central Banks Involved in CBDC Research, Only Several Have Concrete Plans
A new report published on Jan. 8 by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has found that seventy percent of central banks worldwide are conducting research into central bank digital currency (CBDC) issuance. However, concrete plans for implementation and motivations vary considerably across contexts. The BIS is an organization based in Switzerland made up of 60 of the world’s central banks, and has to date devoted a number of major reports to both decentralized cryptocurrencies and CBDCs. The latter are distinct from the former in that they are digital currencies issued by a central bank, whose legal tender status depends …
Bitcoin Regulation / Jan. 8, 2019