AMINA Bank and Crypto Finance Complete Breakthrough Payments Pilot on Google Cloud’s Universal Ledger
AMINA Bank and Crypto Finance Group have completed a landmark pilot demonstrating how distributed ledger technology (DLT) can modernize the payment infrastructure used by Swiss-regulated financial institutions. Conducted on Google Cloud’s Universal Ledger (GCUL), the pilot successfully achieved near-real-time, 24/7 settlement of fiat transactions between banks—an outcome that showcases the potential to move beyond legacy systems that are sluggish, costly, and limited by business-hour constraints.
The pilot is particularly notable for using programmable commercial bank money rather than introducing new digital currencies. By maintaining existing regulatory frameworks and using wholesale bank money as the settlement instrument, the pilot shows that modernized payment rails can be deployed without fundamentally disrupting how financial institutions operate today. This model enables instant account-to-account transfers while preserving the compliance, security, and operational standards required by the regulated banking sector.
AMINA Bank CEO Franz Bergmueller said the pilot proves that innovation and stability can coexist, highlighting AMINA’s readiness to scale the model globally. Stijn Vander Straeten, CEO of Crypto Finance Group, noted that serving as Currency Operator allowed the firm to lay the foundation for trusted digital payments and tokenized asset flows at institutional scale. Together, the organizations reinforced Switzerland’s reputation as a global hub for next-generation payment infrastructure.
Takeaway
How GCUL’s Infrastructure Enables Scalable, Compliant and Programmable Money
At the center of the pilot is Google Cloud’s Universal Ledger—a high-performance distributed ledger designed to support real-time financial transactions with seamless integration into traditional core banking systems. GCUL enables 24/7 settlement for traditional currencies without requiring banks to overhaul their deposit models, lending activities or compliance processes. According to Google Cloud’s president and CRO, Matt Renner, the pilot demonstrates how cloud-native infrastructure supports innovation while respecting regulatory standards.
Crypto Finance Group played a central coordination role as the designated Currency Operator. It ensured clear transaction rules, facilitated bank onboarding and monitored participant adherence throughout the pilot framework. Settlement, however, remained directly between the participating banks—showcasing a decentralized yet compliant model in which financial institutions retain control while benefiting from the speed and programmability of DLT.
AMINA Bank embedded the DLT infrastructure directly into its core, enabling select clients to experience real-time settlement without disruption to existing workflows. This illustrates how financial institutions can transition to next-generation rails through phased adoption, integrating innovation into existing systems rather than replacing them entirely—a key requirement for large banks balancing modernization with operational continuity.
Takeaway
What the Pilot Means for Switzerland’s Global Leadership in Digital Financial Infrastructure
The pilot’s success reinforces Switzerland’s position as one of the world’s leading centers for . By bridging institutional banking with cloud-based DLT infrastructure, the initiative provides a practical blueprint for global markets viewking to modernize payments without adopting untested forms of . The model combines Swiss regulatory rigor with scalable, cloud-native technology—an approach that balances innovation with stability.
The next phase will involve scaling the platform by adding more institutions, transitioning from controlled testing to live operations, and exploring advanced functions such as cross-border and cross-currency payments, point-of-sale integrations and retail-facing use cases. With facing mounting pressure to reduce costs, improve transparency and eliminate settlement delays, Switzerland’s pilot positions the country at the forefront of practical, compliant DLT adoption.
Backed by the institutional strength of AMINA Bank and Crypto Finance Group—along with Google’s enterprise-grade cloud environment—the project strengthens the foundation for a future in which payments, tokenized assets and sophisticated move across interoperable networks in real time. As jurisdictions worldwide explore similar architectures, Switzerland’s model provides an ahead example of how DLT can reshape financial infrastructure without sacrificing the secureguards that underpin modern banking.
