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A New Era for Swiss Franc Transactions
Zurich-based fintech Bivial has announced the launch of its latest service: instant 24/7 Swiss Franc (CHF) payments. The move, unveiled this month, promises to transform how businesses and individuals handle transfers in one of the world’s most trusted currencies.
For decades, Swiss finance has been known for stability and reliability, but its infrastructure has often been constrained by limited settlement hours. Bivial’s new system addresses this gap, enabling transactions to clear in under ten seconds at any time of day.
How the Platform Works
Founded in 2022, Bivial has built its reputation around blockchain-enabled payment solutions tailored to European markets. The company’s hybrid model blends distributed ledger technology with traditional banking rails. This approach ensures transparency and efficiency while maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements.
The Instant 24/7 CHF Payments protocol allows users to send funds through an API or a web dashboard with fees capped at 0.1 percent per transaction. That level is significantly below the one to three percent often charged by legacy providers such as SWIFT.
Through partnerships with UBS, Credit Suisse, and other major institutions under the Swiss National Bank’s fintech sandbox, Bivial integrates directly with the established financial system. Each transfer is tokenized on a permissioned blockchain, ensuring atomic settlements. Transactions either complete fully or not at all, eliminating the risk of partial failures common in multi-hop international wires.
Addressing Long-Standing Limitations
Switzerland processes more than 300 billion CHF in cross-border payments annually, yet its domestic clearing system — the Swiss Interbank Clearing (SIC) network — operates only during business hours. This limitation has long left urgent transactions, including import payments and weekend payrolls, vulnerable to delays.
Bivial’s platform offers uninterrupted service, aligning with broader European initiatives such as the ECB’s TIPS framework for instant payments. By enabling continuous settlement, the company directly addresses one of the most significant pain points for exporters, contractors, and service providers.
Supporting Swiss Trade and SMEs
Bivial’s leadership has stressed the benefits for small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those active in Switzerland’s export-heavy sectors. Industries like pharmaceuticals and precision engineering account for a majority of the nation’s trade. For such businesses, liquidity and speed are critical.
Early adopters, including a consortium of watchmakers in Basel, report that the platform has reduced processing times by half and cut costs by 40 percent for supplier payments within the European Union.
These outcomes demonstrate the appeal of an infrastructure that combines modern digital rails with the reliability of the Swiss banking system.
Security and Compliance at the Core
Real-time payments often raise concerns about fraud and compliance. To mitigate risks, Bivial applies multi-factor encryption to each transaction and integrates anti-money laundering screening tools developed by partners such as Chainalysis. These features provide real-time monitoring and safeguard users against fraudulent behavior.
The company also emphasizes environmental efficiency. By using a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, its blockchain reportedly consumes far less energy than proof-of-work systems like Bitcoin. This aligns with ESG targets adopted by many corporations.
At the same time, the reliance on a permissioned blockchain differentiates Bivial’s approach from decentralized networks. While this structure allows for greater regulatory oversight, some industry observers note that it may come at the expense of the resilience offered by more open systems.
Competitive Landscape
Bivial’s entry into 24/7 CHF payments places it in competition with global fintech firms such as Ripple and Stellar, which have long promoted blockchain-based cross-border solutions. Unlike those platforms, which rely on crypto assets and stablecoins, Bivial remains fiat-native.
This positioning could prove attractive to conservative institutions wary of volatility and regulatory complexity. By anchoring its services within the established banking ecosystem, Bivial aims to differentiate itself as both innovative and compliant.
Implications for Swiss Finance
The timing of the launch coincides with discussions about revising the Swiss Banking Act to include provisions for instant payment systems. Bivial’s model demonstrates what is possible under current regulations and could influence policymakers as they design future standards.
For Switzerland’s fintech sector, the move reinforces the country’s reputation as a hub for financial innovation. Analysts expect CHF-denominated digital transaction volumes to increase by at least 25 percent by 2027, with Bivial capturing a meaningful share of that growth.
A Broader Shift in Payments
The ability to settle transactions instantly is becoming a baseline expectation in modern finance. From consumer purchases to large-scale corporate transfers, businesses and individuals are demanding faster, cheaper, and more transparent payment methods.
Bivial’s launch signals that these expectations are now extending into Swiss finance, traditionally seen as cautious in adopting new technologies. The integration of blockchain into mainstream banking rails suggests that innovation and stability can coexist.
Looking Ahead
As Bivial rolls out its Instant 24/7 CHF Payments, the company positions itself at the forefront of Switzerland’s digital economy. For businesses, the benefits are immediate: reduced costs, faster settlements, and greater liquidity. For regulators, the model offers a compliant and efficient framework for scaling instant payments.
Whether the platform achieves widespread adoption will depend on its ability to maintain trust, security, and operational resilience. But with partnerships in place and early adopters reporting tangible gains, Bivial’s latest innovation could mark a turning point in how Swiss Franc transactions are handled in a globalized, always-on economy.
