News

How Stablecoins, AI, and Quantum Technologies are Igniting a Global Race to Control FinanceA new financial order is taking shape. Technologies that once sat in pilot phases are now moving into live environments to reshape how money moves, how markets operate, and how systems are governed globally. Stablecoins are emerging as settlement rails, tokenisation is moving assets onto programmable infrastructure, artificial intelligence is beginning to execute transactions autonomously, and quantum technologies are reshaping the foundations of security and system design. Together, these shifts are intensifying a global race among major economies and companies to build, scale and control the next generation of financial infrastructure.As Europe advances regulatory leadership through frameworks such as MiCA, and Switzerland positions itself as a neutral bridge between financial systems, capital and innovation, the region is moving into sharper focus in shaping the future of global finance.Against this backdrop, the fifth edition of the Point Zero Forum 2026 is taking place from 23 to 25 June 2026 at Kongresshaus Zürich under the theme A Financial System Rewired: Trust, Compliance and Protocols in a Shifting World as part of Swiss FinTech Week. In 2025, the forum brought together more than 1,300 participants from over 60 countries.Organised by the Swiss State Secretariat for International Finance and the Singapore Headquartered Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN), Point Zero Forum has emerged as Europe’s leading platform for aligning on how next generation financial systems are designed, governed and deployed at scale.A Global Convergence of Policy, Technology and FinancePoint Zero Forum will bring together a distinguished group of global leaders shaping the financial system, spanning governments, central banks, financial institutions, technology firms and global organisations.Public sector and policymakers include Karin Keller-Sutter, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Finance, Switzerland; Maria Luís Albuquerque, European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union, European Commission; and Alvin Tan, Minister of State (Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth), Singapore, and Board Member, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), alongside Christoph König, Deputy State Secretary, State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF).Central banks and global institutions will be represented by Piero Cipollone, Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank (ECB); Burkhard Balz, Member of the Executive Board, Deutsche Bundesbank; Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor, Bank of England; Carolyn Rogers, Senior Deputy Governor, Bank of Canada; Ulrik Nødgaard, Governor, Danmarks Nationalbank; Tommaso Mancini Griffoli, Head, BIS Innovation Hub; Steven Maijoor, Executive Board Member, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB); Prof Marlene Amstad, Chair of the Board of Directors, Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA); Andrea Maechler, Deputy General Manager, Bank for International Settlements (BIS); and Leong Sing Chiong, Deputy Managing Director, Markets and Development, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).Global financial institutions and industry leaders include Sergio Ermotti, Group Chief Executive Officer, UBS Group AG; Mikkel Grønlykke, President, Banking Circle; Jean Marc Stenger, Chief Executive Officer, Societe Generale-FORGE; Dr Philip Intallura, Head of Quantum Technologies, HSBC; and Sopnendu Mohanty, Group Chief Executive Officer, Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN).Digital assets and payments leaders include Paolo Ardoino, Chief Executive Officer, Tether; Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy, Circle; Sébastien Van Campenhoudt, Director, Innovation and Digital Assets and Tokenized Cash Lead, Euroclear; Fiona Murray, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Ripple; Steven McWhirter, Global Policy Lead, Binance; Tero Reuna, Chief Executive Officer, Paxos Issuance Europe, Paxos; alongside Jorn Lambert, Chief Product Officer, Mastercard, and Yolande Piazza, SVP and General Manager Americas, PayPal.Technology and infrastructure leaders include Jochen Papenbrock, EMEA Head of Financial Technology, NVIDIA, alongside senior leadership from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Frederik Gregaard, Chief Executive Officer, Cardano Foundation.KEY THEMESIn a Fragmented Landscape where Europe Regulates, Asia Builds, the U.S. Scales Liquidity, which model will prevail as the global standard for financial infrastructure?Global finance is diverging across power centres, with Europe setting regulatory standards, Asia driving real world deployment, and the United States anchoring liquidity through dollar backed systems.Who will build and own the rails of the next financial system as infrastructure moves from pilots to production?Stablecoins, tokenisation, AI and quantum are converging to rebuild financial infrastructure, shifting systems from experimentation to scalable, programmable and autonomous environments.Can Switzerland set the blueprint for programmable finance and become the bridge between competing financial systems?Switzerland is advancing the integration of programmable money into financial infrastructure, positioning itself as a global hub linking payments, securities and compliance systems.What happens to sovereignty and trust as financial systems move from human oversight to machine execution?Rising Stakes for Regulators and Policymakers: Sovereignty, Scale and Trust as digital dollarisation accelerates and systems fragment, policymakers face growing pressure to safeguard monetary sovereignty while engineering trust into machine driven financial systems. How can policymakers preserve sovereignty and trust while enabling innovation at global scale?Karin Keller-Sutter, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Finance, Switzerland:«In a rapidly changing global environment, international cooperation and trust are more important than ever. Switzerland is committed to fostering dialogue that ensures innovation supports stability, resilience and long term strength.»Sopnendu Mohanty, Group Chief Executive Officer, Global Finance and Technology Network:«Finance is no longer evolving in cycles. It is being rewired in real time. The challenge is no longer innovation alone, but balancing consumer protection with policy, technology and capital. The real question is how fast institutions can adapt, and who will lead.»Media Contact:Mario TuorHead of Communication SIFFederal Department of Finance FDFState Secretariat for International Finance SIFPhone + 41 58 481 34 96Mobile +41 79 550 28 60Email: mario.tuor@sif.admin.chPreeti DawraChief Communications OfficerGlobal Finance & Technology NetworkEmail: preeti.dawra@gftn.comAbout the Swiss State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF)The State Secretariat for International Finance represents Switzerland’s interests in financial, monetary and tax matters not only vis-à-vis partner countries but also in the competent international bodies. It is committed to good framework conditions to ensure that Switzerland can have an innovative, interconnected and sustainable financial centre and business location that is among the world leaders. The State Secretariat is responsible for implementing the financial market policy of the Swiss Government. For more information, please visit www.sif.admin.chAbout the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)The Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) is a Singapore-headquartered not-for-profit organisation established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2024. With offices in Tokyo and Berlin, GFTN’s mission is to bridge policy, capital, and technology to build financial systems that are resilient, efficient, and inclusive. GFTN Services hosts global forums across five continents, bringing together innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers from over 130 countries. It offers policy advice to governments to promote financial technology innovation, inclusion, and capacity building. GFTN Capital will be a venture capital firm investing in growth-stage FinTechs globally. For more information, please visit www.gftn.co

A new factual report (aviation) is available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB).

Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will visit Greece from 22 to 23 May. He will meet the minister of foreign affairs, Giórgos Gerapetrítis, and the minister of defence, Nikos Dendias. Mr Cassis will also attend the inauguration of the new Swiss embassy in Athens.

President Karol Nawrocki of Poland is expected to arrive in Switzerland on Wednesday, 27 May, for a two-day state visit. This invitation from the Federal Council, headed by President Guy Parmelin, highlights the importance of bilateral relations between Switzerland and Poland. Since the turning point in 1989, a Polish head of state has visited Switzerland every decade.

Green hydrogen – produced from water using renewable energy – is an important sustainable fuel and energy storage medium. However, its industrial production is significantly more expensive than the conventional production of hydrogen from fossil sources. Empa researchers and their partners are developing materials for water electrolysis that are not only efficient and more cost-effective but can also be scaled up to an industrial level.

Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) at an event on the Initiative ‘No to a Switzerland with 10 million’ in Bulle – Check against delivery

A new final report (aviation) is available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board STSB.

Address by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) at the General Assembly of SWISS MEDTECH in Lugano – Check against delivery

Opening this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) on 18 May in Geneva, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider underscored the importance of a sustainably funded World Health Organization (WHO). The organisation must be capable of tackling the global health challenges. The Federal Councillor also reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to multilateralism and to Geneva’s role as a centre of global health. On the sidelines of the Assembly, Switzerland hosted a side event on trusted health data in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

According to the early estimate of Switzerland's quarterly real GDP approximately 45 days after the quarter end ('GDP flash'), Swiss economic output is estimated to have grown by 0.5 % in the first quarter of 2026 [1]. Both the industrial and services sectors contributed to this growth.Note: The flash estimate is based on early information available on the production components of GDP. Estimates are used where values are not yet available. The result may therefore change after the complete and updated source data become available. The regular release of quarterly GDP figures, including details on production, expenditure and income as well as updated calculations for the previous quarters, will be published on 1 June 2026.[1] Adjusted for seasonal/calendar effects and sporting events. Growth relative to the previous quarter.

The Federal Tax Administration has updated the course listings and bonus shares 2024, 2025 and 2026.

In the first quarter 2026, the number of employed persons in Switzerland rose by 0.2% year-on-year. The unemployment rate as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) rose from 4.7% to 5.2% in Switzerland, whereas in the EU it fell from 6.2% to 6.1%. These are some of the results of the Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS) conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).