Americans have recognized the potential of cryptocurrencies. Even amid the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, they are pushing hard on blockchain-based money.
Many Swiss believe that by cementing the past, they can save the future.
While Switzerland enshrined the right to hold cash in its constitution last weekend, the Americans are moving forward with digital money.
Catching up to JP Morgan and BoA
The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) has allowed the crypto exchange Kraken to open a so-called master account with the U.S. central bank. This provides access to the Fed’s core payment system.
Until now, no crypto firm had the ability to process payments independently on the central bank’s systems, where JP Morgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs & Co. all operate.
Further steps are conceivable
Observers view this as a breakthrough for blockchain-based currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or stablecoins – that is, digital currencies pegged to the dollar.
Anyone who is part of the interbank payment system will likely soon have access to emergency loans, interest payments on reserves, and the ability to expedite payments to institutional investors via the traditional financial system.
We’re not quite there yet, but the first step has been taken.
Bit by bit, the U.S. is building a financial system that combines the best of both worlds. And it hardly gets any better than that.
Foreigners offer digital francs
The Swiss National Bank (SNB), on the other hand, prides itself on denying access to the SNB payment system to providers of stablecoins – that is, cryptocurrencies pegged 1:1 to the franc, and thus stable.
This makes it difficult for providers to maintain a constant link to the Swiss currency, because even in times of crisis, they must conduct all transactions via the financial market.
But the move by the U.S. Federal Reserve shows that there is certainly another way. Foreigners are already offering a digital Swiss franc because the SNB refuses to budge.
Trump Meets with Coinbase CEO
These days, news is also spreading about an important step that is moving the crypto industry forward in the realm of digital assets.
However, this does not refer to the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Brian Armstrong, CEO of the leading U.S. crypto exchange Coinbase, as many media outlets reported.
It refers to the clarification of regulations that had previously caused uncertainty.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had stated that tokenized assets would be regulated in the same way as traditional assets.
The Boom in Digital Assets
This means that ownership rights for crypto assets are now exactly the same as for traditional assets.
The SEC clarified that the transfer of these assets, as well as shareholder rights, are also transferred to the tokens. This clarity reduces uncertainty.
So, if someone puts an Apple share on the blockchain and trades it, the same rules now apply as for Apple shares in the traditional financial world.
This is a major step forward, as it means there is no longer any difference for investors as to whether they buy or hold the iPhone manufacturer’s shares on a traditional stock exchange or through a crypto firm.
Switzerland Loses Its Pioneering Role
The U.S. has understood the strategic importance of the blockchain world for money as a medium of exchange and for the assets of the future.
A few years ago, Switzerland was a pioneer in the crypto scene on this very topic – for example, with Facebook’s Libra.
But that is long past, and others are taking the lead.
Meanwhile, the Swiss have even enshrined the dying medium of cash in their Federal Constitution, while the Americans are expanding their pioneering position in digital money by taking significant steps.
March 9, 2026/kut./ena.
