Swiss-regulated crypto bank Amina has become the first fully regulated bank participant on the EU-regulated blockchain platform 21X. This move aims to connect regulated banks with the issuance and trading of tokenized securities, addressing a key barrier to institutional adoption. The development occurs as financial institutions increase investment in blockchain infrastructure for tokenized assets, a market now valued at $26.5 billion.
Amina, a Swiss-regulated crypto bank, has joined a blockchain-based settlement platform for tokenized securities operating under the European Union’s DLT pilot regime. The Zug, Switzerland-based company announced Monday that it has become a listing sponsor on the EU-regulated platform 21X, making Amina the venue’s first fully regulated bank participant.
The partnership with Luxembourg-based Tokeny will allow Amina to support companies issuing tokenized securities on 21X. The collaboration aims to address a key barrier to institutional adoption by connecting regulated banks with the issuance and trading of tokenized securities.
21X received an infrastructure permit under the EU’s DLT pilot regime in December 2024, allowing it to run a regulated market for blockchain-based securities. Introduced in 2023, the framework allows market operators to experiment with blockchain-based trading and settlement within a regulatory sandbox.
A lack of interoperability of tokenized asset platforms was cited by Baker McKenzie’s European Financial Services practice in June as one of the main obstacles to adoption. “Scale will only be achieved when numerous market players are transacting with each other on common or interconnected platforms,” Zurich partner Yves Mauchle wrote on the firm’s blog.
The development comes as financial institutions increasingly invest in blockchain infrastructure for tokenized assets. In February, eight EU-regulated digital asset companies urged policymakers to accelerate digital asset legislation, warning the bloc risks falling behind the United States and other jurisdictions.
Positive developments include crypto exchange Kraken launching tokenized securities trading for European users through its xStocks platform in September. Two months later, tokenization platform Ondo received regulatory approval in Liechtenstein to offer tokenized equities trading to European investors.
