Digital coins

In 2022, more than $3.8 billion worth of cryptocurrencies were stolen. Traditional banks are therefore regaining ground to become service providers as custodians of crypto assets. This was the position advocated during the event hosted by El Confidencial by Alfonso Gómez, CEO of BBVA Switzerland. For more than two years now, BBVA Switzerland has enabled its customers to manage bitcoin, ether, and the rest of their investments from the online banking app.

Image: Alfonso Gómez, CEO of BBVA Switzerland, with Javier Molina, from El Confidencial, during a moment of his talk. /El Confidencial

BBVA has now added to its product offering an ETN issued by Fidelity Exchange Traded Products GmbH that tracks the performance of bitcoin. Customers who qualify under the MiFID suitability assessment can sign up for the new product via BBVA's website or smartphone app.

It goes without saying that Europe has lagged behind other world powers in many of the technological races of recent decades: from the design of smartphones and the operating systems that control them to the development of artificial intelligence applications, e-commerce platforms or social networks, among other areas of competition. But there is a new race, still in its early stages, in which Europe seems determined not to be left behind: the issuance of CBDCs (central bank digital currencies), which are intended to be an electronic version of cash now that banknotes and coins are in clear decline as a means of payment.

The Markets in Cryptoassets (MiCA) Regulation is the EU regulation governing issuance and provision of services related to cryptoassets and stablecoins. Adopted on April 20, 2023, by the European Parliament, MiCA is the first and only legislation of its kind in the world and leads the way for other jurisdictions. MiCA will enter into force at some point between mid-2024 and early 2025.

BBVA has explored the potential of blockchain technology as a major catalyst to create value in finance 2.0 for the past six years and is confident of its ability to build a more advanced society in economic and social terms. Alfonso Gómez, CEO of BBVA Switzerland,  spoke recently at the Fifth Blockchain and Digital Asset Forum hosted by online publication El Confidencial and sponsored by Grant Thornton, Allfunds, Criptan and Metrovacesa. Alfonso explained the key points of digital assets, discussed the role and responsibilities of traditional banks in this new space, and pointed out the opportunities that are now emerging.

You can watch the event delayed here.

Institutional investment in digital assets continues to gain momentum, accelerating the adoption and regulation of the Blockchain ecosystem worldwide. Several days ago, Protein Capital, a Spanish fund manager in digital assets, reinforced its international expansion in partnership with BBVA Switzerland, with which it has reached an agreement for the custody of the Bitcoin and Ethereum protocols.

The southern Swiss city of Lugano has stepped up cryptocurrency use and is developing new infrastructure to adopt Bitcoin, Tether and its own LVGA token as legal tender. In the coming months, Lugano residents will be able to use cryptocurrencies to pay their taxes and make purchases at more than 200 local businesses.

Joy Macknight, editor of The Banker, spoke with Alfonso Gómez, the CEO of BBVA Switzerland, to discuss the details of the bank’s cryptocurrency trading and custody service. BBVA Switzerland is the first traditional bank in Europe, and one of the first in the world to offer a service of this kind.

Bitcoin and ether are the best known cryptocurrencies, but there are thousands on the market with different purposes and functions. Cardano, binance coin or USD coin are some of those that are gaining more and more relevance.

The debate on the desirability of a digital euro, issued by the European Central Bank, has been growing in recent weeks. Today, at a seminar organised by the European Banking Federation, Pablo Urbiola, from BBVA's Digital Regulation team, said that "the ECB should rely on public-private cooperation, leveraging the strengths of all players."

BBVA, together with the other 15 major Spanish banks, took part in the first tests leading to potential issuance of the digital euro. The initiative, coordinated by Iberpay, involved the Bank of Spain as an observer and its findings are included in the report.

BBVA has begun to roll out the trials of what will become its first commercial service for the trading and custody of digital assets. The new service, which is to be offered through BBVA Switzerland, will make it possible to manage bitcoin transactions and have deposits in this cryptocurrency.

Garanti BBVA keeps its finger on the pulse of new technology, sponsoring the Second National Blockchain Workshop, organized by TÜBİTAK Bilgem, Turkey’s Informatics and Information Security Research Center.

From birthdays to Buffett and blockchain, this week had a little bit of everything in fintech. Check out the headlines below for what you might have missed.

What is bitcoin? What do the terms node, mining and hash mean? Following are the 10 key terms from the world of blockchain technology that you need to master.

The use of cash as method of payment has been declining in recent years, in favor of digital methods and credit cards. Last month we saw another example in the Hawkers sunglass brand, which will not be accepting cash payments in its new Madrid store.

For months now, 'blockchain' has been a core topic of interest for online media outlets and social networks, sparking endless debates. This list of eleven Twitter accounts offering high-quality blockchain-related content will help you wade through the clutter.

Since August 1, there has been more than one bitcoin in the crypto-currency markets. On that day, bitcoin cash debuted in the ever-expanding world of blockchain-based virtual currencies. These are the five keys to the new crypto-currency.

Chris Skinner closed Latin America's top 'fintech' meeting with a prognosis: The financial services of the future will be open source and real-time or will not be at all.

This form of funding, which allows small business to reach millions via blockchain and cryptocurrencies, is creating a dangerous bubble driven by speculation.

Blockchain has the potential to transform the way business is conducted, whether in transactions between private individuals or relations between government agencies and citizens. With this column about e-commerce, Adolfo Contreras Ruiz de Alda, co-author of Blockchain: the Industrial Revolution of Internet, begins a series of articles that will describe the impact of the new decentralized technologies on different areas and activities.

Senior executives from BBVA got the chance to meet with some of the USA's most innovative and forward thinking financial technology businesses this week at the first tech summit hosted by BBVA-backed venture capital firm Propel Venture Partners.

BBVA today became an official member of Hyperledger, an open-source collaborative effort to advance the use of blockchain in different economic and corporate sectors. Hosted by the Linux Foundation, this international initiative brings together a large group of companies working in finance, technology, manufacturing and the Internet of Things. By joining Hyperledger, BBVA also became a member of The Linux Foundation.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the creation of a High Level Advisory Group on fintech to explore the economic and regulatory implications from developments in financial technology.

Some of the UK’s top talent in the world of fintech were in Madrid this week to pitch their ideas to a selection of BBVA’s senior leaders.

BBVA became a founding member of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA) today. This new international initiative seeks to share best practices and create standards and reference architectures based on the Ethereum platform, taking advantage of the benefits blockchain technology can offer the corporate world.

Digital banking, and its unstoppable growth, is a fact. According to a report by Juniper Research, by 2021, one out of every two adults in the world will user a smartphone, tablet, PC or smartwatch to access financial services. This forecast entails a 53% increase from to this year’s figures.

When the subject of blockchain is addressed, it is usually to hail it as a technology that will overhaul entire industries. "It is a revolution because blockchains can record identities, financial transactions and all kinds of legal operations", says tech guru Chris Skinner. Nonetheless, the technology and its applications are still subject to study, and remain in a very nascent stage, particularly in the banking sector where regulators are charged with coordinating and guaranteeing industry stability.

BBVA sent a contingent to the heart of New York City’s Financial District earlier this month for the invitation-only Blockchain Opportunity Summit, where executives from various industries explored how distributed ledgers, smart contracts and blockchain can drive the next generation of commerce.

Blockchain technology hopes to help the banking industry's digital transformation process by improving efficiency, security and transparency and reducing costs.