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Crypto, Blockchain & MiCA

Token classification, VASP and AML duties, the Swiss DLT regime and stablecoins, and how Swiss rules compare with the EU's MiCA framework for crypto firms.

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Switzerland regulates crypto by what a token and a business actually do, not by the label they carry. FINMA's 2018 guidelines sort tokens into payment, utility and asset types, and the function decides the law: a payment token brings AMLA duties, an asset token is treated as a security. A business that exchanges, transfers or safekeeps crypto for clients is usually a financial intermediary needing SRO affiliation, and holding third-party assets can reach into banking and securities law.

The DLT Act, the DLT trading-facility licence and FINMA's stablecoin guidance fill in the rest, and a dedicated crypto licence is expected in 2027. The guides below explain token classification, the VASP and travel-rule duties, and how the Swiss approach compares with the EU's MiCA regime for a firm deciding where to base.

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