Swiss Bank AMINA completed a pilot on 26 November 2025 using Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL) to settle fiat payments in near-real time, demonstrating 24/7 domestic settlement and placing the institution at the leading edge of permissioned blockchain adoption for instant payments. The experiment shows that regulated settlement can coexist with continuous operations, tokenization and enterprise-grade compliance.

AMINA’s GCUL pilot demonstrates real-time settlement with enterprise-grade controls

The pilot, conducted with Crypto Finance Group, enabled near-instant fiat transfers between the involved parties. GCUL operates as a permissioned layer-1 ledger where only authorized validators can write transactions, reinforcing institutional governance, auditability and compliance.

Among the functionalities tested were Python-based smart contracts, automated compliance—including KYC checks—real-time asset tokenization and single-API integration with legacy banking systems. The infrastructure is designed for uninterrupted operations with a maximum token supply of 1 billion, positioning itself as a backbone for digital money and tokenized assets.

For treasury and market operations, immediate settlement reduces capital trapped in processing cycles and improves collateral efficiency; automation of reconciliations lowers operational costs, while instant usability of funds provides competitive advantages at the client level. In wholesale environments, continuous settlement aligns risk exposure with finality, reducing counterparty windows across collateralized positions.

Scalability, however, is not guaranteed. Many corporate blockchain pilots have failed to transition into full production due to regulatory uncertainty, interoperability constraints and resistance to disruptive infrastructure upgrades. GCUL must also compete conceptually with stablecoin-based liquidity providers and Web3 settlement networks, adding commercial pressure to adoption.

AMINA enters this phase from a growth trajectory: revenues increased 69% in 2024 to $40.4M, assets under management rose 136% to $4.2B and net new assets reached $801M. The bank also holds a MiCA license in Austria and regulatory approval in Hong Kong for trading and custody services. This regulatory positioning explains its decision to explore infrastructure that integrates compliance with scalability and continuous operations.

The AMINA–GCUL pilot proves that instant settlement with regulatory controls is technically viable—its path to mainstream adoption now depends on scale testing, repeatability and multi-party ecosystem alignment.