Zug-based crypto bank AMINA Bank AG and Crypto Finance Group, working alongside several Swiss banking partners, have completed a pilot that showcases how distributed ledger technology (DLT) can modernise traditional financial infrastructure.
Conducted on Google Cloud’s Universal Ledger platform (GCUL), the pilot demonstrated near-real-time, 24/7 settlement of domestic fiat transactions between Swiss-regulated institutions — all while maintaining the same compliance, security, and governance standards expected from commercial banking environments.
the bank explains by embedding DLT beneath the existing banking framework, the pilot shows how settlement can be accelerated dramatically without issuing new digital currencies or altering supervisory models, preserving regulatory stability while delivering meaningful innovation.
Positioning Switzerland a Leader in Payment Modernisation?
Switzerland is also emerging as a leading hub for next-generation payment infrastructure. The pilot strengthens this position by demonstrating how programmable commercial bank money (wholesale) can be leveraged on GCUL to support account-to-account transfers at scale.
For institutions, this unlocks an opportunity to decrease operational friction, reduce funding costs, and enable modern client services across retail, corporate, and institutional segments.
“Google Cloud’s GCUL is proof that innovation and stability aren’t mutually exclusive. With this pilot, we enabled near-real-time, compliant settlements within the existing banking framework… AMINA is uniquely positioned to scale this globally and prove DLT’s ability to transform the financial system,” said AMINA Bank CEO Franz Bergmueller.
Crypto Finance Group CEO Stijn Vander Straeten added that the initiative marks an inflection point for digital financial markets: “As the Currency Operator, we can build a trusted foundation for digital payments and tokenised assets. This strengthens Switzerland’s role as a global leader in digital finance.”
Operational Architecture: Modern Rail Within Existing Frameworks
Within the pilot, Crypto Finance Group served as the designated Currency Operator, onboarding participants and ensuring compliance with transaction rules. Settlement and payment execution were performed directly by institutions on GCUL, while their existing processes and regulatory obligations remained intact.
AMINA Bank and other participants integrated GCUL at the core-banking level, providing select clients with near-instant settlement and full transparency — but without disrupting existing deposit or lending operations.
Google Cloud CRO Matt Renner explains the significance of cloud-native financial infrastructure:
“This pilot showcases how cutting-edge technology can facilitate near-instant, secure, compliant payments that work within regulatory expectations.”
Scaling Toward Cross-Border Payments and POS Integration
According to the bank the high-performance architecture of GCUL allows continuous, 24/7 settlement for traditional money and tokenised assets. This capability positions banks to create new financial products, build programmable payment flows, and improve liquidity management in real time.
With the pilot now completed, the next phase focuses on scaling the platform, onboarding additional financial institutions, and transitioning from controlled testing to live operations.
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