Crypto Law Consultation Period Officially Started By The Swiss Federal Council

Switzerland seems to be a hot topic over the past week for our blockchain news since today we are reporting the official start of the consultation period for the new federal law for blockchain development by the Swiss Federal Council according to a press release published today.

With the initiation, the Federal Council aims to improve the regulatory framework and to bring legal certainty for blockchain applications in order for further development of the crypto regulatory framework for the entire crypto industry in Switzerland especially in the world of finance.

Per the press release, the consultation will end somewhere in the middle of June this year. Back in December 2018, the Swiss Federal Council went over the report on a legal framework for the blockchain industry and the entire financial sector and it concluded that the existing laws in the country are suitable for the blockchain industry with some minor changes. The main issue that needed resolving is bringing legal clarity for right holders on each blockchain network and also to make sure that every trading platform is following the country’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) act.

After the announcement, the Council was quick to release a draft document on the consultation where you can read about all of the proposed adjustments including digital registration of rights in the Obligations code of Switzerland as well as separating the crypto assets if a bankruptcy ever occurs on Debt Collection and Bankruptcy.

The council also had an idea to create another category for distributed ledger technology in order to improve the market’s infrastructure and to create a law for the trading facilities that will be able to provide a regulated financial market. The authority also suggested that the Financial Institutions Act should be adapted to the current legal framework in order to set up a license that will allow for crypto trading facility to be opened as securities firms.

The Swiss Federal Council stated that all of the AML policies will be added to the amendment of Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance after the current act is revised. At the start of the week, the Federal Assembly of the Swiss Government gave a green light that allows the Federal Court to start with the consultation process on adapting the current legislation for the improved crypto regulation framework.