Alright, folks, heads up! The world of digital assets just got a serious upgrade for institutional players, and it’s looking pretty dope. Sygnum, a global digital asset banking group that’s been making waves, just dropped some big news. They’ve launched an institutional crypto asset management service, Sygnum Select, aimed squarely at the whopping $100 billion corporate crypto treasury sector. This move is a straight-up game-changer, bringing Swiss banking’s legendary precision and portfolio management savvy to the wild, wild west of digital assets.
Sygnum Select, which officially launched this past Thursday, is no joke. It’s described as a “discretionary mandate service,” meaning they’re applying that same rigorous, on-point Swiss banking model to crypto assets. We’re talking live client mandates already in full swing, with client assets and a cool $200 million in actively managed portfolios already established, according to a Sygnum spokesperson. For real, this isn’t just talk; they’ve got skin in the game from day one, signaling a major step forward for professional **corporate crypto** management.
This isn’t happening in a vacuum, no cap. Over the last few years, we’ve seen solid growth in corporate and public digital asset treasury companies (DATs), which now collectively hold north of $100 billion in crypto assets. That’s a hefty chunk of change, and it shows that digital assets are no longer just for early adopters or retail speculators. Big businesses are now seriously considering crypto as a strategic component of their balance sheets.
But here’s the rub: while companies are increasingly piling into digital assets, many of them just don’t have the infrastructure for professional, institutional-grade management. It’s like owning a Ferrari but trying to maintain it with basic wrenches from your garage. This creates a massive demand for regulated services that can offer sophisticated products and bridge that gap, and Sygnum is stepping up to the plate with Sygnum Select.
Think about it: BitcoinTreasuries data shows that public companies hold around 1.13 million BTC and private firms hold another 287,990 BTC, totaling a combined value of nearly $97 billion. That’s a significant investment that needs proper stewardship, not just a set-it-and-forget-it approach. The traditional finance world wouldn’t dream of leaving a nine-figure portfolio to chance, and digital assets shouldn’t be any different.
The traditional Swiss banking model is all about discipline, meticulous risk oversight, and a holistic approach to wealth management. Applying this to crypto assets means going beyond simple custody. It involves strategic asset allocation tailored to a company’s risk profile, active rebalancing to optimize performance and mitigate volatility, and continuous monitoring of market conditions. This brings a much-needed layer of sophistication and security that has often been lacking in the nascent digital asset space.
The need for professional management isn’t just theoretical. We’ve seen some cautionary tales, dude. ETHZilla, for instance, an Ether treasury, recently rebranded to “Forum” and pivoted away from holding crypto after a 20% stock slide. And get this, the world’s largest BNB treasury company, CEA Industries, crashed a whopping 94% from its high last year, reportedly blaming a “secret side agreement” involving Binance founder Changpeng Zhao’s family office. These aren’t just minor hiccups; they underscore the critical importance of legitimate, well-managed strategies in the digital asset world.
Sygnum’s Chief Investment Officer, Fabian Dori, put it perfectly: “As digital assets mature and institutional adoption accelerates, we’re seeing a clear shift in what clients need.” He’s right, straight up. Crypto foundations and corporate treasuries aren’t just looking for basic custody and trading anymore. They want a trusted, regulated counterparty that can actively manage their assets with the same discipline and holistic approach they’d expect from a traditional private bank. That’s where Sygnum Select shines, taking full execution authority within a client’s agreed investment framework.
The service offers a comprehensive suite of strategies, including spot, staking, hedging, derivatives, tokenized securities, and even market-neutral strategies. Many portfolios will span multiple asset classes, blending traditional and crypto assets for a truly diversified approach. Markus Haemmerli, Sygnum’s Head of Portfolio Management, highlighted that clients can now access bespoke portfolio management that combines the best of what traditional asset managers and crypto-native firms can offer. That’s a pretty sweet deal for anyone looking to get serious about their digital asset holdings.
It’s also worth noting that Sygnum is a player with serious chops. They raised over 750 BTC for their market-neutral Bitcoin fund in January, which delivered an annualized return of 8.9% in Q4 2025. And they hit a post-money valuation of over $1 billion after securing $58 million in an oversubscribed growth round in January 2025. These guys aren’t just talking the talk; they’re walking the walk, and they’ve got the track record to prove it.
While Sygnum Select is initially available to Swiss clients, broader geographic expansion is definitely on the roadmap. This is a big win for institutional confidence in the crypto space, bridging the gap between established financial practices and the innovative world of digital assets. It’s all about bringing legitimacy and professional management to a sector that’s been high-key hungry for it.
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