Beginning in January 2021, BBVA’s unit in Switzerland will progressively launch a brand new service for the buying and selling and custody of digital belongings. BBVA has spent over 5 years exploring blockchain know-how in very completely different areas – from worldwide funds, commerce finance to capital markets. The evolution of blockchain know-how, along with the rising demand for cryptocurrency providers, have helped BBVA discover the correct second to discover its first resolution associated to the administration of digital belongings.
Santiago Fernández de Lis
Head of Regulation
“Digital belongings have huge potential to rework the best way worth and knowledge are exchanged by way of blockchain know-how. Monetary establishments, in collaboration with supervisors, can play a related position within the integration of digital belongings in present markets and infrastructures,” mentioned Alicia Pertusa, Head of Shopper Options Technique at BBVA.
As well as, this initiative comes at a time when a number of nations are taking vital steps towards a brand new regulation on how these digital asset markets can function.
This service will enable BBVA to answer the rising demand from traders with excessive ranges of information, who’re already working with these digital currencies, however by way of fintechs or startups. It is usually an modern resolution out there that enables purchasers to speculate and mix conventional monetary belongings with digital ones in a single funding portfolio.
Beginning in 2021, BBVA will provide its purchasers a service of buying and selling and custody of digital belongings, with all of the ensures of some other banking service, with a clear system that may be very easy to function. BBVA will initially solely handle bitcoin transactions and accounts, as it’s the most accepted cryptocurrency, however it plans to develop its providing to incorporate different digital belongings. BBVA won’t provide advisory providers for the sort of belongings.
This service might be supplied first in Switzerland because of the truth that it’s the most superior European nation when it comes to regulation and adoption of digital belongings, and has a wide selection of firms in blockchain know-how, which it is vitally helpful to start out these providers. In reality, a number of banks already provide digital asset administration providers for institutional purchasers, companies and particular person prospects.
BBVA has a presence in Switzerland by way of a wholly-owned subsidiary in that market, which is devoted to worldwide personal banking providers.
