Switzerland

Regulated Partly Confirmed Verified August 24, 2026

Switzerland applies technology-neutral financial, securities and AML laws to crypto. The DLT Act supports tokenised rights and licensed DLT trading facilities.

Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA

Total Laws (incl. applicable EU-wide)

Effective Laws

At a Glance

Is holding crypto allowed?

Allowed

Is crypto trading allowed?

Regulated

Is P2P trading allowed?

Allowed

Are crypto payments allowed?

Allowed

Is crypto legal tender?

Is mining allowed?

Allowed

Is staking allowed?

Regulated

Is DeFi participation allowed?

Regulated

Are stablecoins allowed or regulated?

Regulated

Activity Status Matrix

Activity	Status	Details
Holding Crypto	Allowed	Is holding crypto allowed?
Crypto Trading	Regulated	Is crypto trading allowed?
P2P Trading	Allowed	Is P2P trading allowed?
Crypto Payments	Allowed	Are crypto payments allowed?
Legal Tender	No	Is crypto legal tender?
Mining	Allowed	Is mining allowed?
Staking	Regulated	Is staking allowed?
DeFi	Regulated	Is DeFi participation allowed?
Stablecoins	Regulated	Are stablecoins allowed or regulated?
NFTs	Regulated	Are NFTs allowed or regulated?
Token Launches	Regulated	Are token launches allowed?
Crypto Advertising	Regulated	Is crypto advertising allowed?
Banking Access	Regulated	Do crypto businesses have banking access?

Regulation Overview

Switzerland has a mature, technology-neutral framework rather than one standalone crypto statute. FINMA classifies tokens and services by function: payment-token activities commonly trigger AML requirements; asset tokens can be securities; custody, deposits, collective investments and trading infrastructure can trigger specific licences. The DLT Act, effective in stages during 2021, introduced ledger-based securities, DLT trading facilities and insolvency rules for crypto assets. Private ownership, trading, mining and payments are generally permitted, but commercial intermediation and custody require careful licensing analysis.

Tax Information

Crypto is subject to Swiss federal and cantonal tax principles. Holdings are generally included in wealth tax at year-end value; private capital gains are generally tax-free, while professional or business gains are taxable.

Individual Tax Treatment

Individuals declare crypto holdings for cantonal wealth tax. Gains of a private investor are generally tax-free, but professional trading, mining, staking and remuneration can produce taxable income and social-security consequences.

Business Tax Treatment

Legal entities recognise crypto assets, income and gains under corporate profit and capital-tax rules. VAT and withholding-tax treatment depend on token structure and activity.

Swiss Federal Tax Administration

Business & Licensing

There is no universal crypto licence. Banking, FinTech, securities-firm, collective-investment, DLT trading-facility or AML affiliation/authorisation may be required depending on custody, client funds and services.

AML / KYC Requirements

Financial intermediaries handling payment tokens or client transfers are generally subject to AML due diligence, beneficial-owner identification, monitoring, recordkeeping and travel-rule expectations.

Primary Regulator

Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA

finma.ch

Crypto Laws & Regulations in Switzerland

Guidancecurrent_guidance

FINMA Stablecoin Guidance

FINMA Guidance 06/2024 on stablecoins

Published: July 26, 2024Effective: July 26, 2024Ref: FINMA Guidance 06/2024

Explains financial-market-law and AML issues for stablecoin projects.

StablecoinsAML/KYCPayments

Official Source

Acteffective

Swiss DLT Act

Federal Act on the Adaptation of Federal Law to Developments in Distributed Ledger Technology

Published: September 25, 2020Effective: August 1, 2021Ref: DLT Act

Creates ledger-based securities, DLT trading facilities and crypto insolvency segregation rules.

SecuritiesMarket Structure & Regulatory PerimeterCustody

Official Source

Acteffective

Federal Act adapting federal law to developments in distributed ledger technology (DLT Act)

Bundesgesetz zur Anpassung des Bundesrechts an Entwicklungen der Technik verteilter elektronischer Register

Effective: August 1, 2021Ref: BBl 2020 7639

Switzerland's DLT Act amends multiple federal laws to accommodate ledger-based securities, DLT-based asset custody and insolvency, and introduces the DLT trading facility licence. It is a technology-neutral multi-statute reform rather than a standalone crypto act, and covers issuers, custodians, financial institutions and licensed DLT trading facilities in Switzerland.

LicensingToken IssuanceBankingSecurities

Official Source