IFZ FinTech Study 2019 (Hochschule Luzern (HSLU))

Summary

• At the end of 2018 there were 356 FinTech companies in Switzerland, a growth rate of 62 percent compared to 2017.p.3
• Liechtenstein issued a consultation report on a planned Blockchain Act in August 2018.p.8
• Switzerland plans targeted amendments to its legal framework rather than a dedicated Blockchain Act.p.8
• The Federal Council proposes a new license category for trading involving crypto-based assets.p.9
• SIX Digital Exchange (SDX), planned for rollout in mid-2019, is to offer integrated end-to-end trading, settlement and custody for digital assets.p.10
• FinTech companies rated seven challenges on a scale of 1 to 10 in the sentiment analysis.p.7

Key insights

1. The fourth edition of the IFZ study adds the FinTech grid as a secondary categorisation system.p.3
2. The FinTech taxonomy distinguishes six main categories of FinTech.p.5
3. The Business Model Canvas is based on nine building blocks.p.7
4. Under current Swiss law it is unclear whether digital assets can be segregated if a custodian goes bankrupt.p.9
5. Token trading platforms to date are the domain of largely unregulated exchanges.p.10