Blockchain Startup Smart Valor Gets Regulatory Approval from Swiss FINMA

Swiss-based blockchain-oriented startup Smart Valor has recently received regulatory approval to operate in Switzerland, reports Reuters. Thus, the company is ready to launch its online investment platform by the end of this year.

Smart Valor got the green light from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) to provide cryptocurrency services, becoming one of the few crypto-oriented firms to be regulated. It also means that the company will have easy access to banking, as leading banks in Switzerland closed the door to most cryptocurrency firms, though the situation might change.

Smart Valor will be indirectly monitored by FINMA via a self-regulatory and FINMA-approved organization called VQF. The latter will make sure that Smart Valor is compliant with the anti-money laundering requirements.

FINMA and VQF declined to reveal whether other blockchain firms had received approval to operate as financial intermediaries, however, the latter confirmed on Wednesday that Smart Valor was approved.

Smart Valor is working on an online platform to allow alternative investments, including digital assets. The assets will go through a tokenization process after which they’ll have a digital equivalent on the blockchain. The platform should be ready by the end of 2018.

Smart Valor CEO Olga Feldmeier said:

“Most of these investments have previously only been available to a small elite of high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors.” “Tokenization transforms the way people own things, improves liquidity, and makes these investment opportunities accessible to a broader audience of investors,” she added.

The company stated that was also seeking a banking license to expand its services by allowing securities investments, which might be launched in the first half of the next year.

“Pending regulatory approval, the VALOR platform will expand its offering to asset-backed tokens, such as equity in blockchain companies, blockchain-related infrastructure projects, real estate, crypto funds, venture capital, and private equity funds,” Smart Valor noted.