Big Banks Won't Touch Crypto Clients – But These Smaller Banks Will 

 

Cryptocurrencies undoubtedly bring new business opportunities. The expanding industry around digital assets and its customers need more and more services that traditional sectors can provide. Banking is often a bottleneck in the crypto space as most traditional institutions are still reluctant to get their feet wet. Smaller banks, however, are more willing to occupy this niche and reap the rewards.  

Aiming for a Reward That Justifies the Effort

Navigating the regulatory maze, in the midst of which most crypto companies operate these days, is not easy. Organizations from other industries which work with crypto firms have to deal with the same obstacles. It’s often hard to do business and make a profit. But the current situation also creates opportunities, for there’s a margin to be made in this kind of environment. And it’s usually the small, young and hungry businesses that accept the challenge, hoping that the reward will justify the risks and efforts.
Most big banks have been shying away from the cryptosphere, be it because of the regulatory uncertainty, the volatile nature of the market, or maybe they just see a threat to their good old ways of banking. But small-size financial institutions and representatives of the nascent fintech industry cannot afford to be so shy. In the fast-moving cryptoconomy, every opportunity the growing sector offers is worth exploring and exploiting.
The case of the German WEG Bank illustrates this very well and shows that banks and crypto companies can cooperate in a mutually beneficial way. In the summer of 2018, as part of a partnership deal, the crypto payment provider Tokenpay Swiss AG acquired a 9.9% stake in the bank with plans to increase its share in the future. And this spring, Nimiq, a provider of browser-based payment solutions, also bought 9.9% in WEG Bank. The two now work on a crypto-fiat product called Nimiq Oasis.

A Bridge Between Two Financial Worlds

WEG Bank is now promoting itself as an institution that bridges the gap between traditional banking and digital currencies. According to an announcement posted on Twitter, it has recently secured “full access to a crypto trading and custody license in Estonia.” The bank noted that it’s also applying for a securities trading and custody license in Germany. The licensed Estonian vehicle, WEG Bank later clarified, is WEG Blocklink OÜ, which is its sister company that will act as a servicer to WEG Bank AG.
Estonia has been a leading force in Europe when it comes to creating a favorable business climate for crypto companies. However, it’s been reported that authorities in Tallinn have started tightening some of the rules applicable to the sector. The new regulations oblige locally registered entities to keep their headquarters in the jurisdiction, while foreign companies are required to maintain an office in the Baltic country.

Fiat Products Backed With Crypto Assets

Having crypto companies among stakeholders is not a mandatory prerequisite to being a crypto-friendly financial institution. Since the launch of its crypto business six years ago, San Diego-headquartered Silvergate Bank has established itself as one of the few banks in the United States that is readily providing services to the digital asset industry........

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