Episode Details

Mathias Imbach, cofounder and CEO of Sygnum Singapore, joins the show. In this episode: 

• How Mathias came to cofound Sygnum
• The state of affairs in Crypto Valley in Switzerland today
• Why crypto banks are necessary and useful
• Why the company is split – cofounders, offices, and investors – between Zurich and Singapore
• Why Switzerland and Singapore are suitable venues for a crypto bank
• The case for convergence between traditional financial infrastructure and the crypto industry
• Sygnum's product lineup
• Current regulatory attitudes towards the crypto industry in Switzerland in Singapore
• How Sygnum compares with the entities receiving crypto-focused bank charters in the U.S.
• Switzerland's treatment of the Travel Rule for crypto exchanges
• The current state of EU regulations for crypto service providers
• How Sygnum created a tokenized Swiss Franc backed directly by central bank liabilities
• Differences between tokenized base money and a state-issued CBDC
• Mathias' explanations for the renewed enthusiasm for Bitcoin in the market
• Why Bitcoin and gold decoupled earlier this year – and how Bitcoin stopped being a rates bet
• How Sygnum's clients are an indication of the changing nature of Bitcoin investors