Swiss Banks Achieve Real-Time Payments with Google Cloud Pilot

AMINA Bank and Crypto Finance Group completed a pilot using Google Cloud’s Universal Ledger, enabling real-time, 24/7 fiat settlements between Swiss banks with DLT, without new digital currencies or regulatory changes.

AMINA Bank and Crypto Finance Group, in collaboration with several Swiss banking partners, have completed a pilot program using Google Cloud’s Universal Ledger (GCUL) to demonstrate real-time, 24/7 settlement of fiat payments between Swiss-regulated institutions. The pilot leveraged distributed ledger technology (DLT) to enable instant, compliant transactions without introducing new digital currencies or altering existing regulatory frameworks. By embedding DLT beneath current banking infrastructure, the initiative reduced operational friction and funding costs while maintaining the security, compliance, and governance standards of traditional banking. Crypto Finance Group acted as the Currency Operator, managing transaction rules and onboarding participants, while AMINA Bank integrated the technology into its core banking systems, allowing select clients near-instant settlement. The pilot proved that programmable commercial bank money can operate on GCUL to support large-scale account-to-account transfers, modernizing payment systems without disrupting existing processes. The next phase aims to scale the platform, onboard more institutions, and introduce advanced capabilities such as cross-border payments and point-of-sale integrations.