BancaStato, the cantonal bank of Ticino in southern Switzerland, has launched regulated cryptocurrency trading directly within its existing web and mobile banking applications. The new service, powered by Sygnum’s digital asset infrastructure and Avaloq’s SaaS banking platform, allows customers to buy, hold, and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Solana without leaving the bank’s standard digital channels. The rollout, announced on July 23, 2026, expands the bank’s digital investment offering while keeping crypto services inside the regulated banking environment.
The integration connects Sygnum’s business-to-business API directly with BancaStato’s Avaloq core banking system, removing the need for a separate order management or trading interface. Customers can submit market orders using either cryptocurrency quantities or equivalent U.S. dollar values, and manage portfolios within the same familiar apps they use for traditional investments. Sygnum handles execution and institutional-grade custody, combining hardware protection, software controls, governance procedures, and external audits. Client digital assets remain off the bank’s balance sheet under applicable regulatory requirements.
BancaStato becomes the first institution on Avaloq’s software-as-a-service environment to enable Sygnum-powered crypto trading through direct API integration, joining more than 25 financial institutions already using Sygnum’s B2B platform. The move follows a broader trend of Swiss banks adding digital asset services—Sygnum’s partner network already provides crypto access to over one-third of Switzerland’s population. Previous integrations include PostFinance (which later added Ethereum staking), Zuger Kantonalbank, and Bordier & Cie. Shortly before this launch, on June 30, 2026, Sygnum Europe received a Crypto-Asset Service Provider license under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) via Liechtenstein’s Financial Market Authority, further strengthening regulated digital asset coverage across Europe.
