Sygnum links crypto trading into Bancastato banking

Zurich-based Sygnum Bank has integrated its regulated cryptocurrency services into Bancastato’s web and mobile banking for customers in Ticino. The connection lets clients buy, hold and sell bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), litecoin (LTC) and solana (SOL) without opening accounts on a separate exchange. Sygnum’s trading, custody and compliance systems operate behind the scenes while Bancastato retains the customer relationship and front-end interface.

Trades can be placed as market orders either by specifying the amount of cryptocurrency or its value in U.S. dollars. Sygnum executes orders and manages settlement; Bancastato displays transactions and account balances in its existing app. The integration removes the need for a separate onboarding process on another trading platform.

Bancastato is the first bank running on Avaloq’s software-as-a-service platform to offer cryptocurrency trading through Sygnum’s application programming interface. The arrangement keeps trading infrastructure and regulatory responsibilities with Sygnum, while Bancastato keeps branding, account management and customer service. Sygnum provides institutional custody that includes layered security controls, governance procedures, independent audits and legal segregation of client assets.

Sygnum’s business-to-business platform supplies execution, custody, settlement and compliance systems for banks that do not build those capabilities themselves. The firm supports more than 25 banks and financial institutions, including Zuger Kantonalbank, Luzerner Kantonalbank, Postfinance and VZ Vermögenszentrum.

Fritz Jost, Sygnum’s chief B2B officer, described the integration as “a significant step in the maturity and scalability of regulated digital asset infrastructure.” Curzio De Gottardi, a Bancastato executive, noted that “adding digital assets broadens the bank’s existing investment offering.”

By mid-2026 about 20 Swiss banks offered some form of cryptocurrency service across more than 2.5 million customer accounts. Several major and cantonal banks have introduced regulated crypto offerings, often relying on third-party infrastructure rather than building proprietary systems. Swiss licensing and supervision cover custody, trading, compliance and anti-money-laundering requirements.

Sygnum was founded in 2018 and obtained Swiss banking and securities-dealer licenses in 2019. The company has licensed operations in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Liechtenstein. On June 30, Sygnum Europe received a crypto-asset service provider license under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets framework. Bancastato’s launch adds the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino to Sygnum’s partner network.