DLT Act Switzerland: What It Means for Crypto and Blockchain Businesses

When you hear DLT Act Switzerland, a Swiss law that legally recognizes distributed ledger technology and digital assets. Also known as Federal Act on the Adaptation of Federal Law to Developments in Distributed Ledger Technology, it’s the backbone of Switzerland’s crypto-friendly legal environment. This isn’t just a technical update—it’s a full legal reset for how digital assets are treated under Swiss law. Before this law, blockchain projects in Switzerland operated in a gray zone. Now, tokens, smart contracts, and digital ledgers have clear legal standing. That’s why companies like Crypto AG and Ethereum-based startups choose Zurich over New York or London.

The DLT Act, Switzerland’s landmark blockchain legislation enacted in 2021. Also known as Federal Act on the Adaptation of Federal Law to Developments in Distributed Ledger Technology, it’s the backbone of Switzerland’s crypto-friendly legal environment. doesn’t just say ‘crypto is legal.’ It gives real tools: digital asset custody is now a licensed activity, tokenized shares can be issued without paper certificates, and blockchain-based voting is enforceable in court. This law also created the DLT license, a specific regulatory category for firms handling digital assets, which is separate from traditional banking licenses. That means a Swiss crypto exchange doesn’t need to become a bank to operate—it just needs the right DLT permit. And because Switzerland’s financial regulator, FINMA, is known for being clear and consistent, many global projects apply here first.

But it’s not just about exchanges. The DLT Act also changed how tokens are treated in bankruptcy. If a company holding digital assets goes under, those tokens aren’t automatically lost—they’re treated as separate property, not mixed into general assets. That’s huge for investors. It also cleared the path for tokenized securities, digital versions of stocks or bonds issued on blockchain, making it easier for startups to raise capital without traditional IPOs. And because Swiss law recognizes smart contracts as binding, DeFi protocols can operate with legal certainty—something most other countries still don’t offer.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t just theory. It’s real-world impact: how Swiss regulations compare to MiCA in the EU, why some crypto firms moved from Germany to Zug, and what happens when a token gets caught between old banking rules and new DLT rules. You’ll see how this law affects everything from small DeFi devs to big institutional investors. No fluff. Just what matters if you’re building, trading, or holding crypto in Europe.