Swiss private banks are known for their long tradition of service - and in some cases their agility. Zurich-based Maerki Baumann Privatbank is an excellent example of this. As one of the first banks in Switzerland - and in Europe - to offer crypto services, it got a head-start on the industry in 2018.
But how did Maerki Baumann make the decision to do crypto? How did its service offering develop and what were the keys to success for the private bank, which has been in the business for 5 years and recently launched ARCHIP, a new brand, to support its crypto service offering?
CEO Dr. Stephan Zwahlen spoke to RULEMATCH Spot On host Ian Simpson about all this - and more.
(1:31) Intro
(2:22) The backstory of Maerki Baumann’s entry to crypto
(4:01) The original client target group and offering
(5:47) Evaluating the potential offering
(8:25) How the “bridge” between wealth management and crypto formed
(9:09) The positioning of Maerki Baumann among “crypto banks”
(11:42) The generational growth of crypto asset interest
(12:35) Crypto services as a growth driver for the bank
(13:40) Maerki Baumann as a “startup”
(15:11) Agility and partner banks as the key to growth
(16:07) The alternative to size for growth
(16:54) Crypto as a percentage of Maerki Baumann’s business
(19:30) Setting up processes for crypto business
(21:31) Building the Maerki Baumann core crypto team
(23:18) The advantage of due diligence
(24:15) Reducing friction for the end client
(26:39) Risk management with partners
(28:03) The value of partners beyond crypto
(29:01) The growth of Maerki Baumann’s positioning
(30:57) Widening the crypto offering
(33:47) The ongoing fiat/crypto topic
(35:30) Competition in the custody space - and beyond
(40:37) Looking back on the growth of the Swiss crypto ecosystem
(44:02) Can Switzerland keep up?
(45:00) Preparing for adoption of digital assets
(46:15) Final advice to other bank CEOs
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Disclaimer:
The information contained in this podcast about RULEMATCH AG (“RULEMATCH”) and any guest company is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered exhaustive. They do not imply any elements of a contractual relationship nor any offering.
