Blockstream launches institutional consulting business and opens Lugano office

Blockstream announced today that the company has launched an institutional consulting business and opened an office in Lugano, Switzerland. Blockstream said the expansion gives banks, asset managers and other institutions direct access to Blockstream's engineers and Bitcoin infrastructure. Blockstream said the Lugano office is already operating and consulting engagements are available to institutions throughout Europe.

Blockstream Consulting Services will help institutions assess, design and deploy financial infrastructure based on Bitcoin. Blockstream said the business will develop infrastructure for issuing tokenized assets, confidential settlement and related functions. Blockstream said services will cover technical strategy, system architecture, integration and implementation. Blockstream said multidisciplinary teams will provide access to technical staff throughout the process, from initial assessment to deployment. Blockstream said the consulting business draws on expertise in cryptography, protocol engineering, security and financial technology.

Blockstream plans to serve clients throughout Switzerland from Lugano, including clients in Zurich, Geneva and Zug. Blockstream said the office will be a European operations hub supporting client relationships, strategic partnerships and cooperation with regional financial and technology communities. Blockstream described the expansion as a long-term commitment to Switzerland and part of a strategy to establish operations in important markets for institutional Bitcoin adoption.

Chief Marketing Officer Peter Bain said Switzerland matters to Blockstream because of Switzerland's banking tradition and supportive digital asset regulation. Bain said Blockstream seeks to provide regional expertise where demand exists for Bitcoin infrastructure. Bain said the consulting business and Lugano office will deliver customized Bitcoin solutions to financial institutions throughout Europe.

Blockstream was established in 2014 and develops technology and services for Bitcoin custody, settlement, payments, asset issuance and self-custody. Blockstream's products include the Liquid Network sidechain, Elements, Simplicity, Core Lightning, the Jade hardware wallet and the Blockstream App. Blockstream introduced Simplicity smart contracts on Liquid this year. Blockstream also added Lightning support to Jade this year.

Co-founder and CEO Adam Back said Bitcoin's next adoption phase is integration with existing financial systems. Back said Blockstream's experience in Bitcoin cryptography, protocol development and engineering provides the expertise needed to address the complexity of integrating Bitcoin with traditional financial infrastructure.

Switzerland has become a digital asset industry center, including Zug's Crypto Valley. Switzerland's regulatory framework allows banks to hold and trade bitcoin for clients. Blockstream did not disclose consulting prices, staffing numbers for the Lugano office or the names of consulting clients.