Swiss cantonal bank starts offering Cardano and Avalanche to meet increased demand

Swiss bank Zuger Kantonalbank has added Cardano and Avalanche to its cryptocurrency offering through a partnership with crypto-focused bank Sygnum.

Zuger Kantonalbank, a Swiss universal bank, has expanded its cryptocurrency offerings to include Cardano (ADA) and Avalanche (AVAX) through a partnership with crypto-focused Swiss bank Sygnum.

In a blog announcement on March 17, Sygnum said the expansion was driven by “increased customer demand” amid what it described as growing regulatory clarity in the U.S. and E.U., as well as the establishment of a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The bank’s fiat-to-crypto transactions are facilitated through Sygnum’s gateway, while Zuger Kantonalbank customers can access the service via e-banking and its mobile app.

Jan Damrau, head of corporate management and member of the Zuger Kantonalbank executive board, says the addition of ADA and AVAX enables the bank’s clients to “further develop their crypto portfolios conveniently with their principal bank – at a time when digital assets are approaching a global inflection point in terms of adoption.”

“The latest expansion of Zuger Kantonalbank’s token universe illustrates the strong demand for additional tokens with diverse use-cases to complement major protocols like Bitcoin and Ethereum.”

Fritz Jost, Sygnum Bank chief B2B officer

In early January, Sygnum raised $58 million in its Strategic Growth Round, pushing its value to over $1 billion and making it a “unicorn.” The funding round was oversubscribed, with Fulgur Ventures, a Bitcoin-focused venture capital firm, as the cornerstone investor. New and existing investors, along with Sygnum team members, also participated in the funding.