AMINA Bank and Crypto Finance Demo Real-Time Cross-Currency Settlement on Google Cloud

Positioning Switzerland as a Leader in Payment Modernisation

Switzerland has been steadily emerging as a leading hub for next-generation payment infrastructure, leveraging its strong regulatory framework and innovation-friendly environment. The recent pilot conducted by Zug-based crypto bank AMINA Bank AG and Crypto Finance Group, in collaboration with several Swiss banking partners, further strengthens this position by demonstrating how programmable commercial bank money can be leveraged on Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL) to support account-to-account transfers at scale.

This groundbreaking initiative was conducted on Google Cloud's Universal Ledger platform and showcased near-real-time, 24/7 settlement of domestic fiat transactions between Swiss-regulated institutions. What makes this particularly significant is that the pilot maintained the same compliance, security, and governance standards expected from traditional commercial banking environments, proving that innovation and regulatory stability can coexist.

By embedding distributed ledger technology (DLT) beneath the existing banking framework, the pilot demonstrates how settlement processes can be accelerated dramatically without issuing new digital currencies or altering existing supervisory models. This approach preserves regulatory stability while delivering meaningful innovation, addressing one of the key challenges facing the financial services industry in recent years.

For financial institutions, this technological advancement unlocks significant opportunities to decrease operational friction, reduce funding costs, and enable modern client services across retail, corporate, and institutional segments. The ability to offer near-instant settlement with full transparency represents a substantial competitive advantage in an increasingly digital financial landscape.

"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," explained AMINA Bank CEO Franz Bergmueller.

Crypto Finance Group CEO Stijn Vander Straeten emphasized 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 and demonstrates the practical viability of blockchain-based settlement infrastructure."

Operational Architecture: Modern Rail Within Existing Frameworks

The technical architecture of the pilot represents a sophisticated approach to modernizing financial infrastructure without disrupting existing operations. Within the pilot framework, Crypto Finance Group served as the designated Currency Operator, taking responsibility for onboarding participants and ensuring strict compliance with transaction rules and regulatory requirements.

Settlement and payment execution were performed directly by participating institutions on GCUL, while their existing processes and regulatory obligations remained completely intact. This design choice was critical to ensuring that the pilot could demonstrate real-world viability without requiring institutions to overhaul their established operational frameworks.

AMINA Bank and other participating institutions integrated GCUL at the core-banking level, a technical approach that allowed them to provide select clients with near-instant settlement and full transaction transparency. Importantly, this integration was achieved without disrupting existing deposit management or lending operations, demonstrating that legacy systems and cutting-edge technology can work in harmony.

The architecture leverages the inherent advantages of distributed ledger technology—including immutability, transparency, and programmability—while maintaining the security and compliance standards required by Swiss financial regulators. This hybrid approach represents a pragmatic path forward for traditional financial institutions seeking to modernize their infrastructure.

Google Cloud Chief Revenue Officer Matt Renner highlighted the broader implications of cloud-native financial infrastructure: "This pilot showcases how cutting-edge technology can facilitate near-instant, secure, compliant payments that work within regulatory expectations. It demonstrates that financial institutions don't need to choose between innovation and compliance—they can achieve both simultaneously."

The operational success of the pilot also validates the scalability potential of GCUL as a settlement platform. By handling real transactions between regulated institutions in a live testing environment, the platform proved its ability to meet the demanding performance and reliability standards of the banking sector.

Scaling Toward Cross-Border Payments and POS Integration

The high-performance architecture of GCUL enables continuous, 24/7 settlement capabilities for both traditional fiat money and tokenised assets, opening up significant opportunities for financial innovation. This capability positions participating banks to create new financial products, build programmable payment flows, and improve liquidity management in real time—advantages that were previously difficult to achieve with legacy settlement infrastructure.

One of the most promising aspects of the platform is its potential application to cross-border payments, an area where traditional banking infrastructure has long struggled with delays, high costs, and limited transparency. The near-instant settlement capabilities demonstrated in the domestic pilot could be extended to international transactions, potentially revolutionizing how banks handle foreign exchange and cross-currency transfers.

The platform's architecture also supports integration with point-of-sale (POS) systems, which could enable merchants to receive settlement almost instantaneously rather than waiting days for traditional card payment processing. This capability has significant implications for cash flow management, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses that often face liquidity challenges due to delayed settlements.

Following the successful completion of the pilot phase, subsequent phases will focus on scaling the platform, onboarding additional financial institutions, and transitioning from controlled testing environments to live operational deployment. This expansion will involve not only Swiss institutions but potentially international banks interested in leveraging the platform for cross-border settlement.

The roadmap also includes exploring additional use cases beyond traditional payment settlement, including the settlement of tokenised securities, digital bonds, and other blockchain-based financial instruments. As the digital asset ecosystem continues to mature, having a robust, compliant settlement infrastructure will become increasingly critical.

The collaborative nature of the pilot—involving multiple regulated institutions working together on shared infrastructure—also establishes a model for industry-wide cooperation on financial innovation. Rather than each institution building proprietary systems, the shared platform approach enables network effects and interoperability that benefit all participants.

As financial institutions worldwide grapple with the challenge of modernizing legacy infrastructure while maintaining regulatory compliance, the AMINA Bank and Crypto Finance pilot offers a compelling blueprint for achieving both objectives simultaneously. The successful demonstration of real-time settlement within existing regulatory frameworks proves that distributed ledger technology has matured to the point where it can deliver practical value in production banking environments.

FAQ

What is AMINA Bank and what are its main businesses in the crypto finance field?

AMINA Bank is a globally regulated crypto bank licensed by FINMA. Its main business focuses on SUI transactions and custody services, as the first institution offering such comprehensive crypto banking solutions.

What is real-time cross-currency settlement, and how does AMINA Bank implement this functionality on Google Cloud?

Real-time cross-currency settlement enables instant completion of cross-border currency transfers. AMINA Bank leverages Google Cloud's Universal Ledger to achieve seamless, round-the-clock instant fiat settlement between Swiss banks.

What are the advantages of AMINA Bank's cross-currency settlement compared to traditional international money transfers?

AMINA Bank offers significantly lower fees, faster settlement times, and 24/7 real-time processing. By leveraging blockchain technology on Google Cloud, it eliminates intermediaries, reduces costs, and enables instant cross-currency transactions globally.

Is AMINA Bank's use of blockchain technology for settlement secure and reliable? What are the risks?

AMINA Bank's blockchain settlement is secure with immutable records and transparency. Key risks include regulatory compliance requirements, AML/KYC obligations, and evolving legal frameworks. Operational risks involve technical infrastructure stability and integration with traditional banking systems.

What practical scenarios can AMINA Bank's real-time settlement technology be applied to?

AMINA Bank's real-time settlement technology can be applied in cross-border payments, multi-currency settlements, and point-of-sale systems. It modernizes traditional banking processes efficiently within existing regulatory frameworks.

What role does Google Cloud play in AMINA Bank's cross-currency settlement system?

Google Cloud provides real-time payment infrastructure and efficient cross-institutional settlement services for AMINA Bank. It enables 24/7 payment operations while ensuring compliance with Swiss financial standards through its ledger technology.

Is AMINA Bank's crypto financial solution regulated?

Yes, AMINA Bank's crypto financial solutions are regulated. The bank launched the first regulated POL staking service on Polygon in 2025, complying with regulatory standards.