Swiss SRO affiliation (AML supervision)

Switzerland takes a distinctive, activity-based approach. Under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, a company that affiliates to a FINMA-recognised self-regulatory organisation (SRO) can operate as a financial intermediary across a broad spectrum of services — often several at once under one affiliation. Depending on the SRO and the business model, this can cover payment services and money transfers, currency exchange, issuing and managing payment instruments, commercial lending and leasing, crypto exchange and brokerage, certain crypto custody arrangements, asset management for clients, and trustee or fiduciary activities. Rather than requiring a separate licence for each activity, the affiliation is built around the intermediary itself, with proportionate AML/KYC obligations and ongoing SRO supervision. Combined with Switzerland's political stability, established banking infrastructure and international reputation, SRO affiliation is a highly attractive and efficient base used by many payment, fintech and digital-asset businesses. The exact scope of permitted activities depends on the SRO's rules and the business model, so each activity should be confirmed with the chosen SRO.