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JPM Plans to Increase Swiss Corporate Banking Presence With Blockchain

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JPMorgan (JPM - Free Report) wants to increase its corporate banking presence in the Swiss markets by utilizing its blockchain technology. Lutz Karl, who oversees JPM’s corporate banking operations in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, said that the Wall Street giant is in discussions with potential clients in Switzerland as the bank projects significant growth in its Swiss corporate banking division over the next three to five years.

JPMorgan’s blockchain services are already being used in Germany by Siemens, which is the first company to utilize Onyx by J.P. Morgan’s programmable payments system.

The service, powered by JPM Coin, was successfully implemented in November, reaching a milestone for blockchain technology in corporate finance.

Now, JPM views blockchain as a powerful tool to grow its market share in Switzerland, especially in cash management and corporate banking services. Karl said, “We’re also having a lot of discussions on the subject in Switzerland, and expect to bring the first customers onto the platform in the next few months.”

Disruptions in Swiss Markets Open Doors for JPM

JPMorgan’s aim to have a larger chunk of the Swiss markets aligns with its broader strategy to capitalize on the opportunity presented in the Swiss banking sector after the collapse of Credit Suisse.

The collapse of Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse last year shook the Swiss banking sector, creating a lucrative environment for competitors like JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank (DB - Free Report) , Citigroup (C - Free Report) and HSBC Holdings (HSBC - Free Report) to expand their services.

While Deutsche Bank, Citigroup and HSBC have already established their presence in Switzerland, JPMorgan has a competitive advantage over these firms because of its cutting-edge blockchain services.

Currently, JPMorgan serves 60 large companies in Switzerland, including all 20 Swiss Market Index blue-chip firms, along with more than two dozen small to medium-sized enterprises.

By integrating blockchain technology into its services, the bank hopes to attract more clients from various industries.

JPM’s Move Likely to Boost Innovation in Corporate Banking

The banking giant’s increased focus on blockchain in Switzerland is a strategic move designed to capture new market opportunities and deliver cutting-edge solutions to its corporate clients.

By leveraging blockchain capabilities, JPM aims to enhance the efficiency, transparency and flexibility of its corporate banking services. The bank is setting a standard for corporate finance by offering programmable payments, cross-border transaction capabilities and real-time processing.

Programmable payments allow companies to automate their financial operations based on predefined conditions, which provides businesses with a level of customization that was previously unavailable with traditional banking systems. By enabling automated and programmable treasury functions, JPMorgan is positioning itself as a leader in the application of blockchain technology for corporate banking.

Moreover, the bank has been exploring the broader potential of blockchain for cross-border transactions. Blockchain’s decentralized, shared ledger infrastructure enables firms to conduct transactions with greater speed, transparency and liquidity.

Since traditional cross-border transactions involve multiple intermediaries, it delays payments. However, blockchain technology brings banks onto a single, unified platform, wherein debits and credits are processed instantaneously.

JPMorgan’s Price Performance & Zacks Rank

Over the past six months, JPM shares have gained 8.3% compared with the industry’s growth of 6.7%.

 

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

 

Currently, JPMorgan carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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