Digital Asset Pioneer: Inside Bank Frick

Over the past decade, Bank Frick has been at the forefront of blockchain banking innovation. In this episode, Raphael Haldner, Head of Banking Solutions, sits down with Dr. Lidia Kurt to reflect on ten years of digital asset banking from launching Europe's first crypto-backed note in 2017 to today's regulated tokenized economy. The conversation explores how institutional client demands have fundamentally shifted from simple trading and custody access to sophisticated, regulated banking infrastructure that seamlessly integrates fiat and stablecoin accounts. Raphael shares insights on why money market funds tokenized on-chain represent a treasury revolution, with interest paid minute-by-minute rather than daily. He discusses the critical role of regulated secondary markets and compliance-first innovation, as well as why Liechtenstein's EWR membership makes it a strategic hub for digital asset banking in Europe. Most importantly, Raphael envisions a future where tokenization and blockchain become as invisible and essential as SWIFT simply part of the financial infrastructure running in the background. Listen in to understand how regulated, permissioned blockchain environments are reshaping capital markets while maintaining institutional governance standards. 0:31 Welcome with Raphael Haldner, Bank Frick 1:12 A Decade in Digital Assets 2:43 What Institutional Clients Are Asking for Today 3:51 The Shift to Integrated Stablecoin Infrastructure 8:04 Tokenization Milestone: The First European Regulated Fund 9:08 The Missing Pieces That Unlocked Tokenization 10:34 Money Market Funds as Digital Treasury Tools 12:39 DeFi and TradFi: Permissioned Blockchain Systems 16:42 Banking Infrastructure Requirements 18:33 Balancing Innovation with Compliance 20:51 Liechtenstein's Strategic Position in Europe 24:02 The Future: Tokenization as Invisible Infrastructure