BBVA Switzerland has signed an agreement to collaborate with the blockchain company Metaco to host its digital asset custody service, a trailblazer in Europe, on the  Harmonize™ platform. With this agreement, the bank is embarking on a new stage in its crypto strategy, characterized by the highest standards in security and greater agility in transactions. In addition, it opens the door to BBVA expanding its range of services in the future in order to meet the needs of its institutional clients.

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

NFTs are unique and verifiable representations of digital assets, such as works of art, music, videos, virtual collectibles and other types of digital content, based on blockchain technology to guarantee their authenticity and ownership. Over 64 percent of those who purchase NFTs do so for profitability, while 12 percent are simply collectors.

Garanti BBVA, a leading force in digitization in the Turkish banking industry, has announced the launching of Garanti BBVA Digital Assets,  the first venture of its subsidiary Garanti BBVA Financial Technologies. With a pilot already in progress, the company will initially provide services for transfer and custody of bitcoin and ether in the cryptoassets market.

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.

The CEO of BBVA in Switzerland has participated in the fifth edition of the Crypto Valley conference, the most emblematic event of the Crypto Valley Association (CVA), where he has emphasized the role of banking for blockchain developments alongside other leading experts in the industry.

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.

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology are everyday topics that have emerged as a new form of global economy. Thus, BBVA in Switzerland is launching Blockchain to go, a series of educational pills to provide people and companies with the necessary knowledge to enter this new world with confidence and security.

The concept of digital identity -the personal data we voluntarily or involuntarily share online- is a cornerstone of cyberspace. Defining digital identity, regulating it and empowering the user is the next challenge we face.

The bank has signed a collaboration agreement with the Legendaryum Metaverse to explore how immersive digital environments could change the remote relationship model both between internal areas and with customers. BBVA has opened a remote meeting room in Legendaryum to analyze the potential of these spaces and how they change the way users relate to each other and help in the design of specific banking services.

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.

The benefits of blockchain technology and tokens, popularly associated with cryptocurrencies, go well beyond the fintech world. The traceability, security, speed and transparency of blockchain, in addition to its relatively lower cost, mean that this technology offers valuable benefits in many aspects of daily life, such as streamlining bureaucratic procedures, monitoring daily habits or giving people tighter control of their digital identity. The report ‘Tokenise Europe 2025,’ in which BBVA took part, discusses the benefits of 'tokenizing' the European economy.

BBVA joins Banca March, Banco Santander, CaixaBank, Generali, Inetum, Línea Directa Aseguradora, MAPFRE, Repsol, Unicaja Banco and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, the entities that launched Dalion in 2020. The project works on an innovative digital identity management model based on blockchain, which allows each person full control of their data.

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 boom in cryptocurrencies, particularly in regions like Latin America, has lead numerous governments to create legislation to take advantage of the benefits and mitigate the risks. And they are not the only new alternative to cash - several central banks, including the European Central Bank, are looking into the possibility of issuing their own digital currencies. During a BBVA Open Talks event, the speakers debated how these changes will define the future of money.

BBVA’s Swiss franchise has expanded its cryptocurrency custody and trading service, which now allows for ether operations. This cryptocurrency developed by Ethereum is the second most used cryptocurrency after bitcoin, and completes BBVA Switzerland’s pioneering offer.

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.

Decentralized finance is a blockchain-based set of applications that, in principle, need no intermediaries to work. These financial products have similar characteristics to traditional services and their boom period could, to some extent, change the financial sector and give rise to both opportunities and challenges.

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.

After six months of testing with a selected group of users, BBVA Switzerland makes its first crypto-asset trading and custody service available to all its private banking clients.

BBVA and Ant Group (Alibaba affiliate) have signed an agreement to collaborate on the integration of financial services in their platform, Trusple. Based on blockchain technology, this network is aimed to accelerate the digital transformation and facilitate the financing of international trade operations, with a special focus on small and mid-sized businesses.

Alicia Pertusa, head of Client Solutions Strategy at BBVA, has been involved in the different 'blockchain' research projects and pilots that BBVA has carried out over the past five years. The launch of its first bitcoin transaction and custody service in Switzerland was a landmark achievement for BBVA. The rollout was made possible thanks to the regulatory framework set up by the Helvetian country, which provides a unique opportunity to explore innovation in digital asset management. In this interview, Pertusa explains how this service is just a first step in an area that is going to have a direct impact on how we exchange not only money, but also any valuable asset or piece of information.

Central bank-backed digital currencies, such as the potential digital euro and digital yuan, may become a reality in the coming years. Unlike cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, these currencies promise less volatility and greater security. In addition, they will have the support of their respective monetary institutions, responsible for ensuring financial stability.

The tokenisation of assets via blockchain could facilitate new financing pathways, guarantee secure investments and programme digital money so that it can only be used for certain purposes, although the associated regulations have not yet materialised.

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.

2019 has seen the first 5G networks rolled out and the first achievements in quantum computing, as well as the establishment of various financial initiatives using blockchain. These three technologies will mark a before and after in the banking sector in the years to come.

Garanti BBVA is the only private Turkish bank participating in Turkey’s blockchain network, the BiGA Digital Asset Transform Platform, developed by Istanbul Clearing, Settlement and Custody Bank (Takasbank). For the first time, Garanti BBVA carried out blockchain transfers in real time with other participating banks.

In this second article, BBVA experts in various fields give their views on the changes and breakthroughs that happened during 2019, and the ones we will see in the technological banking landscape in 2020.

Banks and investors as starting to awaken to the benefits that can derive from the use of blockchain technologies in bond issues, including green bonds. BBVA and Spanish insurance company Mapfre partnered early this year to arrange the issue of a pioneering blockchain sustainable bond. The technology allows to cut costs, increase efficiency and ensure full transparency.

BBVA has named the winner of its newly created Open Talent Award for Sustainability as Australian last mile start-up AgUnity.

‘The Banker’ has announced the winners in this year’s edition of “The Banker Tech Awards”. BBVA The British financial journal has recognized BBVA in the category devoted to Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) and blockchain.

Ricardo Martin Manjón was named as BBVA Global Head of Data in April this year, having previously been the bank’s Global Head of Data Strategy and Data Science Innovation. His role sees him lead the bank’s development, deployment and future thinking around how BBVA drives forward its use of data throughout the Group, so it can achieve its strategic objective of bringing the age of opportunity to everyone.

In this interview Martin Manjón outlines why BBVA has a strategic focus on data, how that manifests itself across the entire group, what it will mean for customers in the future and the critical importance scale plays in data management.

Continuous innovation and the gradual decline of the use of cash are giving way to a new digital monetary system. According to José Manuel González-Páramo, executive director and head of global economics and public affairs at BBVA, central banks must define the new role they will play coming out of this transformation.

BBVA has been honoured with three accolades in the 2019 edition of Global Finance Magazine’s The Innovators Awards.

As the General Manager of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), Agustín Carstens, said, “New technology is not the same as better, or more efficient technology.” However, you don’t have to be a techno-optimist to recognize that the evolution of technology is unstoppable and improvements can be expected to address things like the volatility of cryptocurrencies. In fact, solutions are already being considered for this problem, such as stable digital currency, or “stablecoins”.

Forbes magazine has included BBVA as one of the ‘Blockchain 50,’ a list that recognizes the leaders in the use and development of this exponential technology. The U.S. publication specifically focused on BBVA’s efforts in the area of blockchain-powered syndicated loans, which are used by the bank to further transparency, security, and efficiency throughout its business processes.

José Manuel González-Páramo, BBVA’s Head of Global Economics and Public Affairs, at a meeting organized by the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in Washington, D.C. defended a regulatory framework for the financial sector that promotes the potential benefits of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). Blockchain, as the first fully functional DLT, was key to the discussion.

BBVA is one of the founding members of the International Association of Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA), which was officially launched today in Brussels.  Carlos Kuchkovsky, CTO of New Digital Businesses at BBVA, represents the only Spanish company on the new association’s ten-member Board.