Is Zürcher Kantonalbank crypto friendly?
Yes for buying and holding crypto inside the bank, but nothing moves in or out.
CBL Score: 6 of 16
| Criterion | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts exchange transfers | partial (1) | unverified |
| Stablecoin off-ramp | no (0) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Business accounts for Web3 | no (0) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Custody | yes (2) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Staking and yield | no (0) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Card | partial (1) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Multiple jurisdictions | no (0) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Open to retail | yes (2) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
Total 6 of 16. Yes scores 2, partial 1, no 0. A secondary source is press or a third party rather than the bank or its regulator. Unverified means no source could be found; the score stands until one is.
Score history
Scores are revised when a bank's documents change. Each revision is dated and sourced.
| 8 September 2026 | Stablecoin off-ramp | partial to no | source |
| 8 September 2026 | Card | no to partial | source |
Standing
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland |
| Type | Traditional |
| Health tag | Solid Full cantonal state guarantee, AAA-rated, over CHF 1bn net profit in 2024. · checked 26 August 2026 |
| Last verified | 8 September 2026 |
If they close your account
Closure policy: Silent
| Notice | No notice period. Under AGB clause 20 the bank (and the customer) may end the business relationship, in whole or in part, at any time without observing a notice period. The Bestimmungen für Privatkonten, clause 7, repeat this for private accounts: the bank can terminate with immediate effect and will notify the holder in writing at the last known correspondence address. |
| Reasons given | No. The policy says reasons are not given |
| Access to funds | AGB clause 21: after termination the customer must tell the bank where to transfer the balance and assets. If the customer refuses or a transfer is not possible, the bank may, after a reminder, deliver the assets physically to the last known address or liquidate them, and may deposit the proceeds with a court or send them by cheque. Private accounts have no withdrawal restrictions (Bestimmungen für Privatkonten, clause 6). |
| Appeal | No internal appeal against a closure is stated. The bank's Allgemeine Informationen sheet says a complaint should first be put to the bank in writing; if that fails the customer may go to the Schweizerischer Bankenombudsman, Bahnhofplatz 9, 8021 Zürich. |
| Names crypto as a ground for closure | no |
Sources: ZKB Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungen (Jan 2022), clauses 20 and 21 · official, checked 23 September 2026
ZKB Bestimmungen für Privatkonten, clauses 6 and 7 · official, checked 23 September 2026
ZKB Allgemeine Informationen, Ombudsstelle section · official, checked 23 September 2026
A closure usually starts as a freeze. The Frozen Account Survival Kit covers the first 48 hours. Every bank side by side: which banks tell you why they closed your account.
What Zürcher Kantonalbank allows and blocks
Allowed
- Buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Chainlink around the clock in ZKB eBanking and the ZKB Mobile Banking app
- Bank-run custody: ZKB holds the private keys, you need no wallet of your own
- Crypto holdings sit in your normal ZKB securities depot and appear on the same statement as shares and bonds
- Trades are executed through Crypto Finance AG, a Deutsche Börse subsidiary licensed by FINMA
- Other Swiss banks can plug into the same trading and custody service under a white-label deal; Thurgauer Kantonalbank was the first
Blocked or restricted
- No transfers of crypto to or from the bank: you cannot deposit coins from an external wallet or withdraw to one
- No staking or other yield services
- No stablecoins in the tradable list, only BTC, ETH, SOL and LINK
- Crypto held at ZKB cannot be used for payments
- Only clients domiciled in Switzerland can trade; US persons are excluded
- Execution only: no advice and no discretionary mandate on crypto
- No published policy on fiat transfers to or from crypto exchanges such as Kraken or Coinbase
Opening an account
- A ZKB private account is open to anyone aged 18 or over. You order it online, then identify with a biometric passport in the app or at a branch with an ID card or passport.
- Crypto trading needs three extra things: a ZKB securities depot with an execution-only agreement, the signed agreement on trading and custody of cryptocurrencies with its risk disclosure, and a signed consent to disclosure.
- You must be domiciled in Switzerland. US persons are turned away from the crypto service.
- Up to three private accounts and the depot itself cost nothing to open. The crypto custody fee starts at CHF 5 a month per position once you hold coins. The smallest order reported by a third-party comparison is CHF 60.
- As of early 2025 the bank described crypto onboarding as still manual and paper-based, so expect a signed form rather than a one-tap activation.
Fees that matter
- Trading: 1.00% per order up to CHF 250,000 and 0.75% above that through eBanking or the app, minimum CHF 10. Orders by phone or letter cost 2.00% and 1.75%, minimum CHF 20 (price list valid from October 2025).
- Custody: 0.50% a year per crypto position, minimum CHF 5 a month, charged quarterly. Ordinary Swiss shares cost 0.30% by comparison.
- Every crypto purchase settles in US dollars. Paying from a CHF account adds an FX spread of up to 1.00% below CHF 50,000, 0.75% up to CHF 250,000 and 0.40% above.
- Account: up to three private accounts and two Visa Debit cards are free. Incoming credits from abroad are free, SEPA payments out are free in eBanking, other foreign or foreign-currency payments cost CHF 4 per item.
Regulatory history
| 2013 | The Swiss National Bank designated ZKB as systemically important by decree of 1 November 2013, after consulting FINMA, placing it under the too-big-to-fail regime alongside UBS and Credit Suisse. source |
| 2024 | On 4 September 2024 ZKB launched Bitcoin and Ether trading and custody for retail clients, executed through Crypto Finance AG, plus a white-label service for other Swiss banks. source |
| 2025 | FINMA confirmed on 28 August 2025 that ZKB's emergency plan meets regulatory requirements and approved its recovery plan, with no shortcomings noted. source |
See a mistake? Email hi@cryptobanklist.com. Every factual correction is logged on our corrections page.
Questions about Zürcher Kantonalbank
Does ZKB let me send money to Kraken or Coinbase?
ZKB does not publish a policy on fiat transfers to crypto exchanges. Its crypto pages only describe buying and selling inside eBanking and the app. Outgoing SEPA payments are free in eBanking and other foreign payments cost CHF 4 per item, but whether a payment to an exchange goes through is not stated anywhere on the site.
Can I withdraw Bitcoin from ZKB to my own wallet?
No. ZKB states that it is currently not possible to transfer cryptocurrencies to the bank or have them delivered by the bank. Coins bought at ZKB stay in the bank's custody until you sell them. Staking and paying with crypto are also ruled out.
What does it cost to buy Bitcoin at ZKB?
Orders placed in eBanking or the app cost 1.00% up to CHF 250,000 and 0.75% above that, minimum CHF 10. Custody adds 0.50% a year with a floor of CHF 5 a month per position. Purchases settle in US dollars, so paying from a CHF account also carries an FX spread of up to 1.00% on small amounts.
Which cryptocurrencies can I trade at Zürcher Kantonalbank?
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Chainlink. There are no stablecoins on the list. You need a ZKB securities depot with an execution-only agreement, a signed crypto custody agreement, and a Swiss domicile. US persons cannot use the service.
Closest alternatives
Yes. PostFinance sells, holds and stakes crypto in its own app, but only for Swiss residents and with no way to move coins to your own wallet.7/16Luzerner Kantonalbank
Yes. Crypto trading, custody and wallet transfers are built into the bank's own e-banking, for Swiss residents.