Broadridge has appointed Frank Troise as President, Global Capital Markets, effective immediately. He will report to Tom Carey, President, Global Technology & Operations, and join Broadridge’s Executive Leadership Team. Troise, who joined Broadridge in 2024 as Head of Trading and Connectivity Solutions, has strengthened the company’s platform capabilities and expanded its front-office offerings in execution management, algorithmic trading, and analytics. Before joining Broadridge, Troise was CEO and Board Member of Pico Quantitative Trading, and previously CEO, President, and Board Member of Investment Technology Group (ITG). He also led J.P. Morgan’s global Execution Services business. Frank Troise “Capital markets are converging around integrated platforms that connect trading, financing, data and post-trade,” said Troise. “By combining our leadership in tokenised real assets with AI-powered front-to-back capabilities, Broadridge is positioned to help clients innovate while maintaining efficiency, transparency and new growth opportunities across traditional and digital markets.” Broadridge supports more than 2,200 buy- and sell-side firms and over 200 trading venues globally, with an average daily trading volume exceeding US$15 trillion. Its distributed ledger-based repo platform, the largest for tokenised real assets, handles over US$7 trillion in monthly volume. The company said it remains focused on helping clients manage operations, reduce risk, and integrate digital and traditional assets, while continuing to develop multi-asset class capabilities that extend trading and post-trade infrastructure into digital markets.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by ismode via Freepik The post Broadridge Names Frank Troise President of Global Capital Markets appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Crypto.com announced that it has received conditional approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for a national trust bank charter, a move that could allow the digital assets firm to operate as a federally regulated custodian. According to Reuters, the approval comes amid a more crypto-friendly regulatory environment in the US, with authorities easing previous restrictions and enforcement actions under the Trump administration. The charter would enable Crypto.com to manage and hold client assets and handle trade settlements within a federally regulated framework, though it would not allow cash deposits or loan services. The company said that once fully approved, it would operate as a national trust bank subject to OCC oversight. Analysts have noted that a national trust bank charter is crucial for crypto-focused firms seeking to attract institutional clients and integrate with the broader financial system. Founded in 2016, Crypto.com lists more than 400 digital tokens on its platform.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Mockup_Mania via Freepik The post Crypto.com Gets Conditional Approval for US National Trust Bank Charter appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Finland-based quantum computing startup IQM has announced plans to become one of Europe’s first publicly listed companies in the sector. The company will merge with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Real Asset Acquisition Corp as part of a New York listing, giving IQM an initial equity valuation of US$1.8 billion, CNBC reported. The deal is subject to shareholder approval and regulatory conditions, with completion expected around June, followed by the listing. IQM is also considering a dual listing on the Helsinki stock exchange. Founded in 2018, IQM raised US$320 million in a Series B round in September, valuing the company at US$1 billion. US cybersecurity-focused firm Ten Eleven Ventures led the round, with Finnish venture capital firm Tesi also participating. IQM builds full-stack, open-architecture quantum systems that customers can deploy on-premise or access via the cloud. The merger could provide over US$300 million in funding through private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing and cash held in the SPAC’s trust account, assuming no redemptions. “Whilst progress has been slow and there have been many challenges, we are starting to see meaningful breakthroughs in the quantum space,” UBS analysts wrote in January. Jan Goetz “Quantum computing is a science project no more,” said Jan Goetz, cofounder and CEO at IQM. “It is an industry where customers own, operate and build on advanced quantum computers.” IQM has sold 21 quantum systems to 13 customers and generated at least US$35 million in unaudited revenue in 2025. As some companies aim for commercial deployment by the end of the decade, discussions are under way on integrating quantum computers with the data centre sector.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mindandi via Freepik The post Finland’s IQM Set to Become Europe’s First Publicly Listed Quantum Computing Firm appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Capgemini has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI to support enterprises in deploying AI at scale using Frontier, OpenAI’s platform for building and managing AI agents across organisations. As a founding member of the OpenAI Frontier Alliance, Capgemini will focus on addressing non-technical barriers to enterprise AI adoption, including data readiness, operating models, governance, and systems integration. The partnership aims to help organisations move beyond experimentation towards consistent, enterprise-wide deployment of AI systems. Capgemini will combine its industry and process expertise with OpenAI’s research and product capabilities, including enterprise AI cloud services, agents, APIs, and ChatGPT Enterprise. The companies said the collaboration is intended to support the development of AI operating models and multi-agent workflows that deliver measurable business outcomes. The partnership comes as organisations shift from pilot projects to long-term AI investment. While AI capabilities have advanced rapidly, many companies continue to face challenges in scaling deployment due to gaps in data quality, organisational readiness, and domain expertise. Brad Lightcap “Our multi-year partnership with Capgemini will help bring AI coworkers to enterprises,” said Brad Lightcap, Chief Operating Officer at OpenAI. “Capgemini’s transformation and global delivery expertise alongside OpenAI’s research and product leadership will help close the gap between what frontier AI can do and what businesses can actually deploy with agents.” Aiman Ezzat, CEO of Capgemini, said the collaboration would strengthen the firm’s enterprise AI capabilities. Aiman Ezzat “By combining our domain expertise and assets with OpenAI’s models and platform, we aim to help clients deploy AI more effectively and at scale.” Capgemini will establish a dedicated enterprise delivery function aligned with OpenAI’s Forward Deployed Engineering team, supporting clients across sectors including financial services, consumer products, life sciences, and energy.       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by topntp28 via Freepik The post Capgemini Partners with OpenAI to Scale Enterprise AI Deployment appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Quantum technology is entering what some experts call a “second quantum revolution”, a phase marked by fundamental changes and the emergence of real devices built on the laws of quantum mechanics, according to Klaus Ensslin, a longtime physics professor at ETH Zurich and a major figure in Swiss quantum research. In an interview for the university’s blog commemorating the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics, Ensslin discussed the development of quantum technology, why progress is accelerating now, and what it might mean for society in the near future. He predicts that within a decade, quantum technology will be commonplace. “I think quantum technology will have become the norm in ten years. It will be part of our lives and part of our education,” Ensslin said. “Even if the physics questions are very old, engineering is what caused quantum mechanics to take off. Some call it the second quantum revolution.” While the first revolution involved discovering and understanding the theory in the early 20th century, the second revolution focuses on constructing commercial products and real-world devices including quantum computers, quantum sensors, and quantum communication systems. Ensslin noted that quantum sensors already exist on the market, and that companies offering quantum cryptography solutions are employing hundreds of staff. Quantum computing, however, remains at an initial stage with a handful of prototypes functioning but substantial improvements still required. Quantum computing among the most promising fields Ensslin presented quantum computing as one of the most promising fields within quantum physics, drawing a parallel with the first computer companies and the transformational impact they had on society. “Back then, nobody knew what computers could do and nobody could imagine that each and every one of us would someday have a computer at home. But now we’re all driven by the idea that we’re living in an information society,” Ensslin said. “It’s a common belief that expanding our information society further is good and valuable. Quantum computers are an extremely important part of that, which is why there’s so much euphoria surrounding them.” Google already has a quantum computer capable of performing calculations not possible using conventional methods, Ensslin said, and now, everybody is waiting for it to be able to calculate something that’s important to the world. He cited problems such as calculating the structure and energy level of a complex molecule that’s essential for fertilizer production, a task that could dramatically cut the sector’s carbon footprint. McKinsey estimates that quantum technology, including computing, communication, and sensing, could generate up to US$97 billion in revenue worldwide by 2035. Quantum computing will capture the bulk of that revenue, growing from US$4 billion in revenue in 2024 to as much as US$72 billion in 2035. Global competition ramps up The frenzy around quantum technology is also evident in the surge of public investment. According to McKinsey, 2025 was the year of quantum technology investment for governments worldwide with public financing exceeding US$10 billion between January 2025 and April 2025. Announcements included Japan placing a US$7.4 billion bet on the sector, and Spain committing to invest US$900 million in the space. Announcements of public investments in quantum technology in early 2025, Source: McKinsey, Jun 2025 Ensslin noted that the Swiss government has committed to support quantum science and technology through the Swiss Quantum Initiative (SQI) in 2022, earmarking more than CHF 80 million through 2028, this amount pales compared with other jurisdictions across Asia and North America. China, for example, is investing US$500 million. Ensslin also emphasized the global competition in quantum research, noting that Switzerland, despite being strong in research and being among the first countries to have a national quantum center, risks falling behind if it does not increase investment and strengthen industrial partnerships. “The US is investing enormous amounts in quantum research, with a lot of this coming from industry. […] The EU built up a European quantum cryptography network,” Ensslin said. “As in other Asian countries, quantum technologies are one of the South Korean government’s key objectives, and the country is investing a great deal of money. Switzerland might still be ahead of South Korea, but the country will catch up at some point.” “[Switzerland] should make substantial investments in this field. […] We have a lot of competition now. Virtually all European countries are pursuing active research policies in this field. Even more so in Asian countries.” Challenges ahead Although quantum computing is one of the most promising applications of quantum technology, it also presents significant challenges. Quantum computers use qubits, which are units of information that can represent 0 and 1 at the same time. Currently, university researchers can create between 50 and 100 qubits, while teams at larger companies and startups are working with around 1,000 qubits, Ensslin said. However, many scientists estimate that about 1 million qubits may be needed for truly powerful quantum computers. Furthermore, quantum computing is introducing new risks, threatening to break widely used cryptography methods such as RSA and ECC, which have been used to protect sensitive data for now decades. As the number of connected devices is projected to exceed 40 billion by 2030, according to estimates by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the potential fallout from broken encryption “could literally break the Internet”, the firm says. Google executives warn that attackers may already be harvesting encrypted data to decrypt later once quantum machines are capable. They call for a transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), or new algorithms designed to resist quantum attacks, urging governments and industries to prepare now by upgrading infrastructure, aligning on standards, and securing AI systems. A recent study by Entrust and Ponemon Institute polled more than 4,000 IT practitioners and revealed that only 38% of organizations are actively preparing for the quantum threat. Of these, 44% are developing a PQC strategy. At what stage in preparing for the post-quantum threat is your organization? Source: 2026 Global State of Post-Quantum and Cryptographic Security Trends, Ensure, 2026 Results also show that organizations across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, also referred to as the DACH region, lead preparedness at 45%, surpassing the US at 40%. This reflects stricter privacy laws in Europe, creating added urgency to attain quantum resistance. Is your organization preparing for the post-quantum threat? Source: 2026 Global State of Post-Quantum and Cryptographic Security Trends, Ensure, 2026   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by farknot via Freepik The post Quantum Technology Enters New Erea appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Liberty Vorsorge, based in Schwyz, has acquired 100% of Kaspar&, a St Gallen-based fintech specialising in digital investment solutions. The acquisition is intended to strengthen Liberty’s technology and digitalisation capabilities and further develop its existing ecosystem. Kaspar& will continue to operate as an independent company within the Liberty Group. Founded in 2020, Kaspar& initially launched its own investment app in cooperation with Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, offering account, card, investment and pillar 3a solutions under its own brand. In 2024, the company shifted its strategic focus to the B2B segment and has since provided its technology to banks as a white-label solution. Its clients include several regional banks, as well as Liberty. Oliver Bienek “With Kaspar&, we are gaining a highly qualified team with proven expertise in the development of digital end-customer and B2B solutions,” said Oliver Bienek, CEO of Liberty. “The acquisition accelerates the implementation of our long-term platform strategy and opens up additional opportunities to leverage synergies and position pension solutions in the financial and insurance markets. To remain competitive in the pensions market, providers will increasingly need to deliver added value beyond the product itself—technologically, customer-focused and scalable.” Jan-Philip Schade, CEO of Kaspar&, described the transaction as a consistent strategic step for the company. Jan-Philip Schade “From the outset, our goal has been to make investing simpler and more accessible, particularly in the area of pensions,” he said. “With Liberty, we have the opportunity to further develop our technology within a strong ecosystem and to pursue our corporate strategy over the long term with a clearly aligned shareholder base.”     Featured image credit: Kaspar& The post Liberty Vorsorge Acquires Kaspar& to Expand Digital Pensions appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Jump, a provider of AI solutions for financial advisors and other financial services providers, has closed a US$80 million Series B funding round led by Insight Partners. New investors include F-Prime, Allianz Life Ventures, TIAA Ventures and Peterson Partners, alongside existing investors Battery Ventures, Sorenson Capital, Pelion Venture Partners, Citi Ventures, and angel investors Hans Tung, Ryan Anderson and Aaron Skonnard. The funding brings Jump’s total capital raised to US$105 million, following a US$20 million Series A last year. Founded by repeat fintech entrepreneurs, Jump has grown rapidly, serving 27,000 advisors in under two years and adding over 2,000 new advisors each month. Its platform is used by independent advisors, enterprise RIAs such as Focus Financial Partners, Integrated Partners and Merit Financial Advisors, independent broker-dealers including LPL Financial, Osaic and Cetera, and institutions including Allianz Life and Manulife. Jump’s AI technology has processed millions of tasks for firms managing an estimated US$12 trillion in client assets. Parker Ence “An enterprise RIA recently shared that Jump ranked number one among more than 40 AI pilots they ran last year in terms of delivering real advisor impact and measurable ROI for the firm,” said Parker Ence, Co-Founder and CEO of Jump. “They saw not only Jump’s usual one to two hours saved per advisor per day, but also a meaningful increase in their overall organic growth rate. This new funding will allow us to invest aggressively in product research and development as we accelerate our vision for an AI-native operating system.” Jump plans to expand its AI capabilities to address operational friction, organic growth and client experience, while providing enterprise-grade functionality suitable for complex firm structures.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by vishaldesignstudio via Freepik The post Jump Raises US$80M Series B to Expand AI Platform for Financial Advisors appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining traction across the business-to-business (B2B) community. In 2026, the sector is expected to experience deeper integration of AI across operations, in addition to heightened attention to governance, human expertise, and the strategic use of AI agents, according to a prediction guide by market research firm Forrester. The guide, released in late-2025, outlines the trends that will shape the operating environment for B2B marketers, salespeople, and product leaders in 2026. It highlights both the expanding role of AI in payment workflows and pricing negotiations, but also the emerging risks that accompany rapid adoption. GenAI incident losses surge Across B2B teams, genAI has become pervasive. The rapid rollout of new solutions, often featuring untested functionalities, combined with lagging AI user skills, is expected to drive a sharp rise in incidents. Forrester projects that these incidents will lead to the loss of more than US$10 billion in enterprise value. This decline will stem from declining stock prices, legal settlements, and fines, underscoring the financial toll of poorly governed genAI deployments. Use of genAI has reached new heights. Roughly three-quarters of sales representatives now rely on AI-enabled sales tools at work. Additionally, half of B2B marketing decision-makers report their organization is experimenting with or currently using genAl, and 53% of product management leaders incorporate genAl technology in their product development process. Human expertise remains essential Though buyers increasingly view genAI tools as a meaningful interaction type during the final commit stage of their purchase, they will continue to seek human experts to validate insights and answer complex questions. Human specialists provide the depth of understanding that genAI cannot yet replicate, ensuring that products function as expected. These experts will continue to be prominent in the buying process, and providers will need to upskill their own human resources, such as product experts and customer success teams, to deliver deep insights to buyers. AI agents in B2B payments Another key trend highlighted by Forrester is the rise of agentic AI in B2B payments. According to the report, B2B payments are especially suited to agentic AI because the complex part of B2B payments isn’t sending the money, but handling the adjacent processes, including creating invoices, checking them, approving payments, updating accounting records, and managing payment terms. These tasks are repetitive, rule-based, and already digital, which makes them easy for AI agents to automate. In addition, B2B payments usually involve established business relationships than consumer payments, with fewer trust or authentication hurdles. By the end of 2026, Forrester expects AI will be used in about one-third of B2B payment workflows. This come as vendors including Basware, Coupa, HighRadius, and Ramp are accelerating the development of AI agents to address corporate spend and B2B payment use cases. Agent-led quote negotiations Forrester also predicts that in the near future, AI agents will start negotiating deals between businesses. In 2026, at least one in five B2B sellers is expected to respond to AI‑powered buyer agents with dynamically delivered counteroffers via seller-controlled agents, showcasing that AI-driven negotiations are steadily becoming a mainstream component of B2B commerce. This shift is also forcing procurement and sales team to develop agents to aggressively negotiate discounts, payment terms, and service levels. In 2025, 61% of purchase influencers said their organization has or will use a private genAl engine to support purchasing, reinforcing the momentum behind AI-driven negotiation. B2B leaders have rapidly embraced genAI, attracted by the potential of the technology to enhance every stage of the deal cycle, including awareness, outreach, engagement and acquisition. Potential genAI impact in use cases across B2B deal cycle, non exhaustive, Source: McKinsey, Mar 2025 According to McKinsey’s 2024 B2B Pulse Survey of B2B decision-makers, 19% of respondents had already implemented genAI use cases for B2B buying and selling, with another 23% being in the process of doing so. McKinsey estimates that teams that combine genAI with personalization approaches are 1.7 times more likely to increase market share than those that are not fully committed to either.   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by user21016237 via Freepik The post Forrester: AI Adoption Rises in B2B Commerce appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Franklin Templeton and Binance have launched an institutional off-exchange collateral programme. Eligible clients can now use tokenised money market fund shares issued through Franklin Templeton’s Benji Technology Platform as off-exchange collateral when trading on Binance. The programme allows institutional traders to utilise regulated, yield-bearing money market fund assets in digital markets without transferring them onto an exchange. Binance mirrors the value of Benji-issued fund shares within its trading environment, while regulated custody continues to hold the underlying assets. This arrangement reduces counterparty risk and enables clients to earn yield while supporting trading activity without compromising custody, liquidity, or regulatory protections. Roger Bayston “Since partnering in 2025, our work with Binance has focused on making digital finance actually work for institutions,” said Roger Bayston, Head of Digital Assets at Franklin Templeton. “Our off-exchange collateral programme is just that: letting clients put their assets to work in regulated custody while safely earning yield.” Catherine Chen, Head of VIP & Institutional at Binance, added: Catherine Chen “Partnering with Franklin Templeton to offer tokenised real-world assets for off-exchange collateral settlement is a natural next step in bringing digital assets and traditional finance closer together.” Assets remain off-exchange in a regulated custody environment, with custody and settlement supported by Ceffu, Binance’s institutional crypto-native custody partner. The initiative builds on Franklin Templeton and Binance’s strategic collaboration announced in September 2025.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by user23413193 via Freepik The post Franklin Templeton and Binance Launch Off-Exchange Collateral Using Tokenised Funds appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Project Prometheus, the AI startup founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, has opened an office in Zurich. The company, whose creation was announced last November, focuses on developing AI for industrial and technological applications, according to Tages-Anzeiger. Public posts on LinkedIn and X indicate that the Zurich office is one of several planned locations, alongside London and San Francisco. Cristian Bodnar, a founding member of the company based in London, wrote in January: Cristian Bodnar “We are hiring experienced Research Engineers at Project Prometheus for our locations in London, Zurich, and San Francisco.” According to Bodnar, new hires will focus on expertise in working with large datasets, training large AI models, and supporting interdisciplinary collaboration. Three employees in Switzerland already list the company as their employer on LinkedIn, including former staff from Google and Sony. One of them, AI researcher and investor Nal Kalchbrenner, recently appeared on a panel at AI House Davos during the World Economic Forum. The company has not revealed how large its Zurich office is or what its specific research focus will be. The Zurich economic development agency, Greater Zurich Area, declined to comment, and Project Prometheus has not made an official statement. Jeff Bezos personally funded part of the US$6.2 billion capital used to launch Project Prometheus. The company has stated that it plans to develop AI for use in spacecraft, vehicles, and computers. Jeff Bezos will serve as co-CEO alongside physicist and chemist Vik Bajaj, formerly with Google and a health-tech subsidiary of Alphabet. Zurich has become an increasingly important location for technology companies, with Google employing around 5,000 people in the city. Other firms, including OpenAI, Pinterest, Apple, Disney, Huawei, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle, also have a presence in the region. Companies cite the city’s proximity to ETH Zurich as a key factor in attracting tech talent. Technology companies highly seek ETH Zurich graduates. The presence of global tech companies in Zurich is a topic of debate. Supporters highlight the role of these companies in driving economic growth and innovation. Critics, however, point to potential challenges, including gentrification, rising rents, and increased societal influence.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by Flickr and kavalenkava via Freepik The post Jeff Bezos’ AI Startup Project Prometheus Opens Office in Zurich appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

FINMA’s Board of Directors has appointed Alain Girard as Head of the Banks division, effective 1 April 2026. Girard, 45, currently leads FINMA’s Recovery and Resolution division and is a member of the Executive Board. He succeeds Thomas Hirschi, who left FINMA on 31 August 2025. Since then, the division has been managed on an interim basis by Simon Brönnimann, who will gradually hand over responsibilities and assume leadership of the Recovery and Resolution division ad interim. Girard has led the Recovery and Resolution division since 2022 and was part of the crisis unit responding to the Credit Suisse situation. He represents FINMA in the Financial Stability Board’s Resolution Steering Group and is a member of the High-Level Task Force for Bail-in Execution. From 2019 to 2022, he headed FINMA’s Supervision of Small Banks and Securities Firms section within the Banks division and contributed to regulatory projects including the introduction of the small banks regime. Prior to joining FINMA in 2015, he worked as a lawyer in Zurich. Brönnimann, who has led the Banks division on an interim basis since September 2025, joined FINMA in 2007 and has held various management positions in both large and small bank supervision. Commenting on the appointment, FINMA CEO Stefan Walter said: Stefan Walter “We have an excellent internal replacement for the important role of Head of Banking Supervision in Alain Girard. This will enable work to continue smoothly in a turbulent and challenging time. Alain Girard is a strategically strong, senior leader with crisis experience and a large network, especially among supervisors worldwide.”     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mkmult via Freepik The post FINMA Appoints Alain Girard as Head of Banks Division appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Visa has renewed and expanded its global partnership with Red Bull F1 Team’s Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. The multi‑year agreement maintains Visa as Title Partner of both teams and their F1 Academy Programme, introducing new branding rights, hospitality assets, and experiential opportunities. Frank Cooper III “This renewal reflects the extraordinary momentum we’ve built with Red Bull Racing Teams, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls and Oracle Red Bull Racing, and our shared ambition to push what’s possible at the intersection of sport, culture and commerce,” said Frank Cooper III, Chief Marketing Officer, Visa. “Both Red Bull Formula 1 Teams give us a dynamic global platform to connect with fans, clients and cardholders in powerful, authentic ways, and this next chapter expands how we show up across the sport.” Under the renewed agreement, Visa retains key partnership status with Oracle Red Bull Racing, including high‑impact on‑car branding, notably on the front wing of the RB22, and exclusive rights within the retail banking category. The partnership extends to the F1 Academy, supporting two cars on the grid, while broadening access to premium experiences. Paul Gandolfi, Chief Commercial Officer, Oracle Red Bull Racing, said: Paul Gandolfi “With Red Bull, we sit at the epicentre of sport, entertainment and lifestyle meaning we are strategically positioned to bring globally recognised industry leaders, like Visa, into the sport as we embark on a new era of Formula 1.” The renewal also continues Visa’s title partnership with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls and the VCARB Academy Programme, reaffirming its support for women in motorsport.     Featured image credit: Visa The post Visa Renews Multi‑Year Deal with Red Bull F1 Teams and F1 Academy appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Ericsson and Mastercard have announced a collaboration to integrate the Ericsson Fintech Platform with Mastercard Move, Mastercard’s money movement solutions portfolio. The integration combines Ericsson’s mobile financial services platform with Mastercard Move to support telecom operators, banks and fintechs in expanding digital wallet capabilities and launching new payment services. The collaboration is also intended to improve access to financial services for unbanked and underbanked populations. Ericsson’s platform offers pre-integrated APIs, cloud-native deployment and compliance-ready infrastructure. These features simplify integration with Mastercard Move, reduce operational complexity and allow providers to deploy new payment services more quickly. Mastercard Move supports domestic and cross-border money transfers in more than 200 countries and territories. It connects over 17 billion endpoints and enables transactions in 150 currencies. Ericsson’s fintech platform operates in 22 countries. It serves more than 120 million active users and processes over 4 billion transactions each month across digital wallets, payments, remittances and lending. The initial rollout will begin in the Middle East and Africa, where demand for mobile money, remittances and interoperable payment systems is growing. Pratik Khowala “Mastercard Move enables fast, secure and transparent transfers for individuals and businesses worldwide,” said Pratik Khowala, global head of Transfer Solutions at Mastercard. “Integration with Ericsson’s fintech platform allows service providers to scale payment services and reach underserved communities.” Pavan Bachwal, head of Mobile Financial Services at Ericsson, said the collaboration would help customers deploy payment solutions more efficiently. Pavan Bachwal “By combining our platform with Mastercard Move, customers can bring secure payment services to market more quickly.”       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by user13403560 via Freepik The post Ericsson Integrates with Mastercard Move to Boost Digital Wallets appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

NoCFO, an AI-native financial management platform for entrepreneurs and small businesses, has partnered with Salt Edge, an open banking solutions provider. The collaboration integrates Salt Edge’s payment initiation capabilities into the NoCFO platform. This allows users to complete financial workflows, including Pay by Bank, without leaving the app. Launched in 2023, NoCFO was designed to simplify financial administration for founder-led companies. It also serves small business owners who manage their own finances or lack a dedicated finance team. The platform uses automation to provide a consumer-style experience for complex business finance tasks. Teemu Karuluoto, CEO and Co-founder at NoCFO, said: Teemu Karuluoto “With Salt Edge’s payment initiation, our users can approve and pay invoices, track cash flow, and handle their bookkeeping all in one place. They hardly need to log in to their bank anymore.” The integration highlights NoCFO’s focus on simplicity and automation. Its “swipe to approve” interface lets users complete transactions with minimal effort, while Salt Edge provides secure, real-time connectivity for payment processing. The partnership also supports NoCFO’s expansion plans. Currently serving around 3,000 active customers in Finland, the platform will enter the German market in 2026. Salt Edge’s PSD2-compliant coverage across more than 2,700 European institutions, including Finland and Germany, ensures functionality and compliance in both markets. Virgiliu Bodrug, Pay by Bank Expert at Salt Edge, said: Virgiliu Bodrug “By embedding our Pay by Bank solution, NoCFO is closing the loop on the financial administration process, allowing entrepreneurs to stay within their core platform, maximise automation, and improve efficiency. We are proud to support their growth and expansion into Germany.”       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by brillian via Freepik The post NoCFO Integrates Salt Edge Pay by Bank in Finland and Germany appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

ClearBank has appointed Tristan Kirchner as CEO of ClearBank Europe N.V. and opened a branch in France as part of its European expansion. Kirchner, who brings more than 25 years of experience in payments and financial services, has held senior roles at Uber Payments, Barclays and Visa. Based in Amsterdam, he will oversee ClearBank’s European operations and long-term strategy, working closely with Mark Fairless, ClearBank Group CEO, and Maurice Oostendorp, Chair of ClearBank Europe Supervisory Board. The French branch will allow ClearBank to work directly with domestic fintechs, electronic money institutions and financial institutions, providing its cloud-based, API-driven platform for payments. The move comes amid growing demand for cloud-native banking services in France. To support its expansion, ClearBank is also establishing a regionally focused sales structure across Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, and Southern/Western Europe, aiming for a closer market focus and improved client engagement. Mark Fairless, Group CEO of ClearBank, said: Mark Fairless “With Tristan’s appointment as CEO of our European Bank and the opening of our French branch, we’re accelerating our mission to modernise payments across the continent. Tristan’s track record in driving growth and navigating complex payments ecosystems makes him the ideal leader to propel ClearBank Europe’s next chapter.” Tristan Kirchner, CEO of ClearBank Europe, said: Tristan Kirchner “I’m excited to join ClearBank at such a pivotal moment in its expansion journey. With an EU banking license and early traction with more than 30 clients across multiple European markets, the foundations are in place for significant, sustained expansion.”       Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by mrsiraphol via Freepik The post Tristan Kirchner Named CEO as ClearBank Expands with French Branch appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

More than 901 million transactions and over 6 million users underline how firmly TWINT is embedded in everyday life in Switzerland. Over time, the service has developed beyond a standalone payment app into a broader digital platform. This evolution supports Switzerland’s digital sovereignty and reduces dependence on global technology providers. In 2025, TWINT introduced several developments that expanded its value for consumers and merchants alike. Transaction volumes continued to grow, with more than 6 million active users completing over 901 million payments. TWINT also launched an exclusive concert ticket presale with Live Nation Switzerland. Through TWINT Prio Tickets, users can continue to access selected tickets ahead of the general sale in 2026. For merchants, TWINT rolled out new operational tools. The TWINT Business Portal app allows businesses to track transactions and revenue at any time. TWINT Express Checkout simplifies online payments by automatically transferring delivery details from the app, reducing manual input and errors. In addition, payment links were introduced as a flexible alternative to QR codes, enabling secure payments via email, messaging apps or newsletters. TWINT is also modernising established payment processes. Building on existing use cases such as ticketing and mobility, the company plans to simplify invoice payments. TWINT Invoice offers a fully digital solution for QR bills directly in the app. TWINT Direct Debit is designed to replace traditional debit systems for recurring payments with a more efficient digital alternative. Markus Kilb, CEO of TWINT, said: Markus Kilb “2025 was a year of innovation and growth. After simplifying payments in stores and online, we aim to make invoice payments just as straightforward in 2026. TWINT is now more than a payment app; it is a platform for everyday digital use.” TWINT also supports fair access to payment infrastructure. It welcomes the review by WEKO into Apple’s handling of NFC access, stressing that open access is essential for competition, innovation and user choice in Switzerland’s digital payments market.     Featured image credit: TWINT The post TWINT Passes 901 Million Transactions Amid Shift Towards Broader Digital Services appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

In 2025, the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector attracted some of the largest venture capital (VC) rounds in the fintech industry, reflecting investors’ optimism about the space’s potential to create new financial infrastructure, and deliver high‑growth returns, according to new data released by market intelligence platform CB Insights. Of the 10 largest VC rounds of Q4 2025, four went to companies operating in digital assets, trading infrastructure, and crypto-enabled financial services, the data show. These transactions involved: Kalshi, a US-based prediction market platform which secured US$1 billion in a Series E in December to support further consumer adoption, integration with additional brokerages, partnerships with news organizations, and expansion of product offerings; Ripple, a digital assets and infrastructure company which raised US$500 million in November to expand further into payments, custody, and stablecoins; Tempo, a payment-focused blockchain platform backed by Stripe and Paradigm which raised a US$500 million Series A round in October; and Erebor, a new digital banking startup which secured US$350 million in December. These transactions, coupled with other significant deals recorded over the rest of 2025 like Binance’s US$2 billion fundraise in March, Kraken’s US$500 million Series D in September, and Phantom’s US$150 million Series C in January, pushed the average deal size materially higher over the course of the year. In 2025, the average crypto transaction surged by a remarkable 90% year-over-year (YoY) to reach US$17.1 million, returning to 2022 levels. Average crypto deal size and top equity deals of Q4 2025, Source: State of Fintech 2025, CB Insights, Jan 2026 Crypto exits activity accelerates Globally, crypto VC funding increased 68.4% YoY in 2025, reaching US$19.7 billion, according to PitchBook data. Crypto mergers, acquisitions, and public listings also surged. M&A activity notched US$7.7 billion in overall deal value across 288 transactions in 2025, compared with 234 crypto M&A transactions totaling US$2.4 billion the year prior. Prominent crypto M&A deals in 2025 included Coinbase’s US$2.9 billion purchase of derivative platform Deribit, Kraken’s US$1.5 billion acquisition of NinjaTrader, and Ripple’s purchase of prime broker Hidden Road and corporate treasury firm GTreasury for more than US$2 billion. Public markets reopened strongly, with at least 11 crypto initial public offerings raising roughly US$14.6 billion in 2025, versus just US$310 million from four listings in 2024, the Block reports. Notable public listings in 2025 comprised Circle, the issuer of the USD Coin (USDC) stablecoin, Bullish, a crypto exchange, and Twenty One Capital, a bitcoin-focused financial services firm. Crypto VC deal value surges, Source: PitchBook, Jan 2026 Looking ahead, the global crypto sector is poised for further liquidity in 2026, with several startups preparing for public offerings. Kraken, a leading crypto exchange, filed confidentially for an initial public offering (IPO) in Q4 2025. Meanwhile, Consensys, the Ethereum infrastructure company behind the MetaMask wallet, and Ledger, a French manufacturer of crypto hardware wallets, have reportedly begun listing preparations. Broader fintech funding trends in 2025 Beyond the surge in crypto deal activity, 2025 witnessed several other key funding trends. Most notably, payment tech was a key area of focus, attracting US$12.3 billion through 535 deals last year and outperforming all other verticals including digital banking, digital lending, and wealthtech. Investment momentum in payment tech last year was driven by funding to agentic payments startups, end-to-end spend management platforms, and embedded payments APIs, with notable backing for Airwallex, Deel, and Ramp. Quarterly equity funding and deals in payments, Source: State of Fintech 2025, CB Insights, Jan 2026 Prediction market startups also experienced a dramatic surge. Last year, companies in the sector secured a total of US$1.7 billion, marking a 15-fold increase. This growth was driven by market leaders Polymarket and Kalshi, which both reached unicorn status. In Q4 2025, Kalshi more than doubled its valuation to US$11 billion following its Series E, while Polymarket’s US$2 billion fundraise propelled its valuation ninefold to US$9 billion. Annual predictions market equity funding, Source: State of Fintech 2025, CB Insights, Jan 2026 Overall, 2025 was a positive year for the global fintech funding landscape. The sector secured a total of US$52.7 billion, growing 35.5% from 2024 and reaching the highest level since 2022. Although total deal count fell 19 % YoY to 3,631, the average deal size grew from US $12.9 million in 2024 to US$20 million in 2025, and the median deal size rose from US$3.5 million to US$5 million, implying larger investments into the sector. Annual equity funding and deals, Source: State of Fintech 2025, CB Insights, Jan 2026   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by freepik via Freepik The post Crypto Leads Large Fintech Equity Rounds; Exit Activity Accelerates appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

PostFinance now offers its customers access to a total of 22 cryptocurrencies. The latest additions include Algorand (ALGO), Arbitrum (ARB), NEAR Protocol (NEAR), Stellar (XLM), USDC, and SUI. The bank became the first systemically important financial institution in Switzerland to provide direct cryptocurrency access at the start of 2024. In July, five further cryptocurrencies were added to its range. With this expansion, PostFinance offers a wide selection of popular digital assets, setting it apart from other retail banks in the country. Alexander Thoma “Our customers want to trade cryptocurrencies with their trustworthy principal bank. We let them do exactly that, and we are consistently working on expanding our range even more,” said Dr Alexander Thoma, Head of Digital Assets. Customers have opened more than 36,000 crypto custody accounts and completed over 565,000 trades since the service launched. PostFinance provides regulated access to cryptocurrencies through its banking platform, allowing customers to trade digital assets securely and conveniently from a single source. Customers can trade digital assets directly through e-finance or the PostFinance App, using either a private or savings account. The service lowers the entry threshold to US$50 for crypto saving plans and individual orders, making cryptocurrency trading more accessible and helping to gradually democratise the market.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by rawpixel.com via Freepik The post PostFinance Adds Six New Cryptocurrencies, Expanding Total to 22 appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

Fintech funding in Switzerland remained low in 2025, as investors continued to favor biotech, cleantech, and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors, according to the annual Swiss venture capital (VC) report by Startupticker.ch, in collaboration with the Swiss Private Equity and Corporate Finance Association (SECA), and Startup.ch. In 2025, Swiss fintech companies secured a total of CHF 236.4 million through 30 transactions, representing roughly 8 % of total VC funding and of total transactions, and placing fintech fifth in funding volume and sixth in deal count. These figures contrast sharply with those of 2021 and 2022 when fintech ranked first or second in both funding amount and number of deals. In 2021, Swiss fintech companies raised CHF 857 million, accounting for 28% of the CHF 3 billion invested in Swiss startups that year. Invested capital by sector 2016-2025, Source: Swiss Venture Capital Report 2026, Startupticker.ch, SECA, Startup.ch, Jan 2026 Financing rounds by sector 2016-2025, Source: Swiss Venture Capital Report 2026, Startupticker.ch, SECA, Startup.ch, Jan 2026 Fintech’s modest performance was reflected in the size of the sector’s deals. Only two fintech transactions entered the top 20 financing rounds of 2025, and both were under CHF 100 million. Wefox secured CHF 70.88 million to strengthen the insurance broker’s market position in Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, while Sygnum Bank, a regulated digital asset banking group, raised CHF 52.93 million to expand in the European Union (EU) and Hong Kong, broaden its product portfolio with a focus on Bitcoin technology, and pursue strategic acquisitions. ICT, biotech capture the majority of Swiss VC funding While the fintech sector struggled, the ICT sector, in comparison, experienced a strong recovery. Funding to ICT companies rose from CHF 315.9 million in 2024 to CHF 773.6 million in 2025, marking a 150% year-over-year (YoY) increase and capturing 26.24% of all VC funding. This represents a return to the level first reached in 2019 and compensates for the sharp decline in the exceptionally poor year of 2024. Biotech was another standout startup category in 2025. The sector posted a record CHF 946.4 million, about 25% higher than the previous peak set in 2020, and secured a 32.1% share of total VC funding. It remained among the top three verticals for the third consecutive year, reflecting continued strong momentum. Renewed appetite for early-stage investment Overall, VC funding activity in Switzerland increased 23.9% year-over-year (YoY) in 2025 to CHF 2,948 million. This growth marks a turnaround after the financing crisis of the past two years, which followed the excesses of 2022 and 2023. Early-stage financing also surged, with CHF 1.116 billion invested, up 73% YoY. Seed rounds saw a rise of 23.8% YoY, with CHF 298 million invested, further indicating a return of risk appetite. A late-2025 survey of about 112 domestic investors highlighted renewed optimism. 55% of respondents made up to five new investments in 2025, and approximately a fifth made up to ten. Looking ahead, a quarter are planning to invest CHF 51 million to CHF 120 million for the next three years, more than twice as many as a year ago. The number of open funds is also expected to increase further. While only 40% of managers planned to launch a new fund in 2025, 66% now intend to do so in 2026. This would translate to an estimated minimum of 43 new funds campaigns during the current year. Intended fundraising campaign by year, Source: Swiss Venture Capital Report 2026, Startupticker.ch, SECA, Startup.ch, Jan 2026 Divergence from global patterns Fintech funding activity in Switzerland in 2025 was in stark contrast to global trends. In 2025, fintech companies secured a total of US$52.7 billion globally, accounting for 11% of global venture funding, according to CB Insights. The figure represents a rebound from the previous year, increasing 35.5% YoY from US$38.9 billion in 2024, signaling sustained appetite for fintech investments. It also put fintech as the second biggest startup vertical by VC funding, second only to artificial intelligence (AI). The payments vertical took the lion’s share, capturing 23.33% of all fintech funding in 2025 (US$12.3 billion), followed by digital lending with a 18% share (US$9.5 billion), and banking with a 13.1% share (US$6.9 billion). Annual fintech equity funding and deals, Source: State of Venture 2025, CB Insights, Jan 2026   Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on images by dvoevnore and PAKMUD via Freepik The post Switzerland’s Fintech Sector Still Struggles to Attract Capital appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.

PostFinance has introduced two new e-asset management mandates aimed at addressing demand for broader and more future-oriented investment options. The new “Future” mandate combines traditional global investments with selected exposure to long-term structural trends and digital assets. Under the “Capital gains” investment strategy, 80% of the portfolio is allocated to globally diversified investments, 15% to megatrends such as digitisation, demographic change and health, and 5% to cryptocurrencies. The crypto allocation is capped and managed within a regulated framework. Philipp Merkt “We are the first retail bank in Switzerland to integrate globally oriented investments, megatrends and cryptocurrencies into an asset management mandate. We have done so in a way that is regulated and professionally accessible for retail customers,” said Philipp Merkt, Chief Investment Officer at PostFinance. PostFinance has also launched the “Sustainable” e-asset management mandate, which invests exclusively in companies and sovereign issuers assessed to be on a credible climate transition pathway. The portfolio aligns with the global net zero target for 2050 and excludes companies that derive benefits from the extraction or increased use of fossil fuels. According to PostFinance, the mandate is designed to offer access to climate-aligned investing with a minimum investment of CHF 5,000. The “Sustainable” focus can be applied across all investment strategies, including “Interest income”, “Income”, “Balanced”, “Growth” and “Capital gains”. With the addition of these mandates, PostFinance now offers five e-asset management focus areas: Switzerland, Global, Responsible, Future and Sustainable. The bank states that these options allow portfolios to be aligned with individual investment objectives, risk tolerance and sustainability preferences. Investment mandates are monitored by specialists and adjusted in response to market conditions. Clients can subscribe to and manage their investments digitally via e-finance or the PostFinance App.     Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Switzerland, based on image by freepik The post PostFinance Expands E-Asset Management with Crypto and Climate-Aligned Mandates appeared first on Fintech Schweiz Digital Finance News - FintechNewsCH.