Technology and the wealth economy

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The private wealth economy is changing under the influence of technology. Digital platforms allow clients to view their portfolios across several banks, and asset managers use algorithms and data analysis in their investment processes. The custody and trading of crypto-assets and Digital Assets require new infrastructure and new expertise. As the centre of the Swiss crypto industry, the canton of Zug offers the professionals of the wealth economy access to specialised custodians, brokers and banks with licences for crypto-assets. Several of these institutions are located in the canton, as Part G describes.

For the asset managers and family offices of Zug, the integration of crypto-assets into their clients' portfolios raises regulatory, technical and tax questions: the licensing of the custody of crypto-assets, the segregation of client assets, the valuation and taxation of tokens, and the anti-money-laundering rules for transfers of crypto-assets, including the application of the travel rule to transfers between intermediaries and to self-hosted wallets.¹ Professionals who master these questions have an advantage in serving the growing number of clients whose wealth includes crypto-assets. The canton's crypto ecosystem makes it easier to acquire the necessary expertise.

Notes

FINMA, press release "FINMA guidance: stringent approach to combating money laundering on the blockchain", 26 August 2019, finma.ch (Guidance 02/2019): supervised institutions may send tokens only to external wallets of their own verified customers and receive them only from such customers, with no exception for unregulated wallets. Art. 242a SchKG (surrender of crypto-based assets in bankruptcy), inserted by the Federal Act of 25 September 2020 (DLT Act), in force 1 August 2021, text via swissrights.ch. Art. 16 no. 1bis BankG was not consulted. Treated in Part H. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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Technology and the wealth economy

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?