Crypto Finance AG

Crypto Finance AG
Founded	2017
Headquarters	Zurich, Switzerland
Key People	Stijn Vander Straeten, Chief Executive Officer; Uwe Schweickert, Chairman of the Board
Employees	258–268 (2026)
Products	Digital asset brokerage, custody, staking, tokenization, and asset management
Twitter	@https://twitter.com/CryptoFinanceAG
LinkedIn	Profile
Website	https://www.crypto-finance.com/
Releases	Company News

Crypto Finance AG is a FINMA-regulated financial institution and securities firm that provides institutional and professional investors with digital asset products and services. As a subsidiary of the Deutsche Börse Group, the company bridges traditional financial markets and the digital asset ecosystem. Its primary business lines include 24/7 crypto brokerage and trading, institutional-grade custody and storage infrastructure, and asset management. The company serves banks, asset managers, ETP issuers, and other professional market participants across Switzerland, Germany, and the broader European market. Trading is automated via institutional-grade APIs, offering professional access to crypto liquidity.

History

Crypto Finance AG was founded in Switzerland in 2017 by Jan Brzezek. In 2018, its subsidiary Crypto Fund AG received authorization from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority to act as an asset manager, becoming the first FINMA-approved crypto asset manager the following year. The firm also provides 24/7 crypto prime and agency brokerage services.

In 2021, the Deutsche Börse Group acquired a two-thirds majority stake in the company for a moderate three-digit CHF million range, exceeding CHF 100 million. That same year, the company received FINMA approval for the first Swiss crypto fund.

A legal merger of internal entities was completed in 2023, at which point founder Jan Brzezek stepped down as chief executive officer and moved into an advisory role. He was succeeded by former chief financial officer Stijn Vander Straeten.

In September 2024, Matrixport acquired the company's asset-management unit, Crypto Finance Asset Management, in an all-cash transaction. By 2026, the company's headcount had grown to approximately 258 to 268 employees.

The company's German subsidiary secured a Markets in Crypto-Assets license for the European market in January 2025, becoming one of the first providers in the EU to achieve this regulatory milestone.

The firm collaborated with vestr in 2023 to enable asset managers to trade and hold digital assets in custody via the vestr platform.

The company also partnered with Apex Group in 2023 to offer institutional-grade crypto investment solutions.

In 2026, the firm integrated with Gold-i’s MatrixNET to expand regulated digital asset offerings to brokers and funds.

The company's workforce surpassed 110 employees in 2022 before continuing its expansion in subsequent years.

Products and Services

The company focuses exclusively on digital assets and cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. It provides custodial staking services, allowing institutional clients to generate staking rewards on assets while mitigating risk through regulated infrastructure. In 2024, its German subsidiary secured four BaFin licenses and joined forces with Commerzbank to offer digital asset services in corporate banking.

In September 2025, the company launched AnchorNote, a custody-native pledging solution that serves as a coordination layer for off-exchange settlement. The product addresses capital inefficiency and credit risk by allowing trading firms to pledge assets held in custody as collateral.

Financial Metrics

As a consolidated subsidiary of Deutsche Börse Group, it does not publicly disclose standalone average daily volume or assets under management metrics. However, Deutsche Börse Group's 2024 Annual Report noted a prior-year impairment charge of approximately €25 million on intangible assets at Crypto Finance AG within the Trading & Clearing segment.

Key People

Board of Directors

• Uwe Schweickert, Chairman of the Board
• Maria Leistner, Independent Board Member
• Dr. Alexander Vogel, Board Member
• Hans-Peter Wyss, Board Member
• Raymond-J. Baer, Board Member
• Dr. Philipp Cottier, Board Member
• Prof. Dr. Fabian Schär, Board Member

Executive Management

• Stijn Vander Straeten, Chief Executive Officer
• Sarina Christner, Chief Operating Officer
• Patrick Heusser, Chief Commercial Officer
• Nathaniel Zollinger, Chief Technology Officer
• Dr. Lewin Boehnke, Chief Product (Platform) Officer
• Kasper Luyckx, Head of Product
• Eric Viohl, Managing Director, Crypto Finance (Deutschland) GmbH
• Christian Müller, Managing Director, Crypto Finance (Deutschland) GmbH
• Laura Hermann, Managing Director, Crypto Finance (Deutschland) GmbH

== Risk Management]]

Crypto Finance AG manages regulatory and operational risk by operating under strict regulatory frameworks. Custody risk is mitigated through hardware security modules with multi-layered, fine-grained access controls, implemented through a 2019 partnership with Securosys to create a secure storage platform.

John Lothian News Interviews

collapsible collapsed" align="left" valign="text-top" style="text-align:left; width:100%; vertical-align:text-top; padding:5px; margin:0 0 1px 0; border:none;"

! colspan="4" style="text-align:left; background-color:#EEE; font-size:14px; border:none; padding:5px;"| (VIDEO) BridgePort CEO Eyes Off-Exchange Settlement to Reduce Crypto Trading Risks

BridgePort CEO discusses the partnership with Crypto Finance to utilize their AnchorNote product, allowing trading firms to hold assets at Crypto Finance and pledge them for off-exchange settlement.