Odaily Planet Daily News: The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) began operations on January 1, 2009. It is responsible for unified regulatory functions covering banks, insurance, anti-money laundering, and other areas. Its current regulatory scope includes banks, securities firms, insurance institutions, asset management companies, and digital asset enterprises. The legal basis for its supervision was passed in 2007.\nIn 2024, the value added by Switzerland's financial industry reached CHF 74 billion, accounting for about 9% of GDP. In 2025, the industry is expected to provide around 222,800 full-time equivalent jobs. Client securities holdings at Swiss banks totaled CHF 8.561 trillion, of which CHF 4.008 trillion belonged to foreign clients.\nSwitzerland sets a tiered regulatory path for fintech companies. Companies may choose a sandbox, a fintech license, a self-regulatory organization recognized by FINMA, or a full banking and securities license. A sandbox can accommodate specific deposit-taking business with up to CHF 1 million. A fintech license allows eligible companies to accept up to CHF 100 million in public deposits or crypto assets.\nAs of 2025, Switzerland has 503 fintech companies and 1,766 blockchain companies. In that year, Switzerland and Liechtenstein attracted CHF 185 million in fintech risk investment, including CHF 81 million invested in distributed ledger technology companies. Switzerland plans to establish license categories for payment instruments and crypto institutions. As of August 11, 2026, the relevant framework is still being advanced. (Bitcoin.com News)