Bivial, a Zurich-based financial technology company, has unveiled its latest update: instant 24/7 Swiss Franc (CHF) payments.
Announced this month, this service aims to transform how businesses and individuals handle cross-border transactions in one of the world’s most stable currencies.
As global trade accelerates and traditional banking hours become a thing of the past, Bivial’s move seemingly positions it at the center of real-time financial infrastructure, bridging the gap between Switzerland’s financial precision and the demands of a 24/7 digital economy.
Bivial, founded back in the year 2022, now specializes in blockchain-enabled payment solutions tailored for European markets.
With a focus on stability and compliance, the company leverages distributed ledger technology to offer secure, low-cost transfers.
Unlike conventional wire services that can take days to settle, Bivial’s platform uses a hybrid model combining blockchain’s transparency with traditional banking rails.
This ensures regulatory adherence while delivering aim to deliver speed.
The new CHF payment feature builds on Bivial’s existing euro-denominated services, expanding its footprint into the heart of Swiss finance—a currency synonymous with neutrality, low inflation, and unwavering trust.
At the core of this launch is the “Instant 24/7 CHF Payments” protocol, which enables end-to-end transfers in under 10 seconds, available around the clock.
Users can initiate payments via Bivial’s intuitive API or web dashboard, specifying amounts in CHF with minimal fees—capped at 0.1% per transaction, far below the 1-3% charged by legacy providers like SWIFT.
The service integrates seamlessly with major Swiss banks, including UBS and Credit Suisse, through partnerships forged under the Swiss National Bank‘s fintech sandbox.
By tokenizing CHF on a permissioned blockchain, Bivial ensures atomic settlements, meaning funds are either fully transferred or not at all, eliminating the risk of partial failures common in multi-hop international wires.
This innovation arrives at a pivotal moment. Switzerland, home to over 300 billion CHF in annual cross-border payments, has long grappled with the limitations of its domestic systems.
The Swiss Interbank Clearing (SIC) operates only during business hours, leaving urgent transfers—such as those for time-sensitive imports or freelance payouts—vulnerable to delays and weekend blackouts.
Bivial’s solution addresses this head-on, aligning with the European Central Bank’s push for instant payments under the TIPS framework.
Dr. Elena Voss, Bivial’s CEO, a former executive at SIX Group, emphasized how the service empowers SMEs in export-heavy sectors like pharmaceuticals and precision engineering, which account for 60% of Switzerland’s trade volume.
The benefits extend beyond velocity.
Security is paramount: Each transaction undergoes multi-factor encryption and real-time AML (Anti-Money Laundering) screening via integrated tools from partners like Chainalysis.
This mitigates fraud risks that plague 24/7 systems elsewhere.
Environmentally, Bivial’s proof-of-stake blockchain reportedly consumes 99% less energy than Bitcoin alternatives, appealing to ESG-conscious firms. But this is also at the expense of potentially compromising on much higher levels of security and reliability that is enabled by truly decentralized networks like Bitcoin (BTC).
For recipients, funds land directly in bank accounts without intermediary holds, reducing liquidity gaps.
Early adopters, including a consortium of Basel-based watchmakers, report 40% cost savings and halved processing times for EU supplier payments.
Broader implications could be felt through the industry.
This launch appears to somewhat challenge established startups like Ripple and Stellar, which dominate crypto-stablecoin payments but often sidestep strict Swiss regs.
By staying fiat-native, Bivial intends to appeal to more conservative institutions wary of volatility.
It also bolsters Switzerland’s fintech hub status, potentially influencing the upcoming revision of the Swiss Banking Act to incorporate instant payment mandates.
Analysts predict a 25% uptick in CHF-denominated digital volumes by 2027, with Bivial capturing 5-7% market share.
As businesses digitize their operations and services, Bivial‘s Instant 24/7 CHF Payments isn’t just an upgrade—it can potentially be viewed as paradigm shift in the long-term.
In an era where delays can come with considerable costs, this service aims to ensure the Swiss Franc flows in the same way as information.