Is AMINA Bank safe in 2026?
Independent risk analysis — regulatory status, custody architecture, history, and our honest verdict.
Our Verdict: AMINA Bank Is Safe
AMINA Bank (formerly SEBA Bank, rebranded 2024) holds a FULL Swiss FINMA banking licence — one of only two crypto-native operators with this authorisation (alongside Sygnum). Customer crypto is statutorily segregated under the 2021 DLT Act; CHF fiat is covered by esisuisse up to CHF 100,000. Institutional + HNW only. Hong Kong + Abu Dhabi subsidiaries serve Asia and GCC. We score it 5.6/10.
AMINA Bank Regulatory Status
Full Swiss FINMA Banking Licence
AMINA Bank AG (formerly SEBA Bank AG) holds a full Swiss banking + securities-dealer licence from the Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), granted August 2019. The full-bank class is the same regulatory category as UBS or Sygnum — not a lighter crypto-specific authorisation. FINMA's prudential supervision covers Basel III capital adequacy, liquidity coverage, governance, and ongoing examination.
Swiss Depositor Protection (esisuisse)
As a Swiss bank, AMINA is a member of the esisuisse depositor-guarantee scheme. CHF fiat deposits are covered up to CHF 100,000 per depositor in the event of bank failure. Crypto holdings are NOT covered by esisuisse (no scheme insures crypto globally), but they ARE statutorily segregable under the 2021 Banking Act Article 16 — meaning in insolvency, customer crypto is returned to its owners rather than treated as a general claim against the bank's estate.
Hong Kong SFC Licences (Type 1 + 4 + 7)
AMINA Bank (Hong Kong) — a separately-incorporated subsidiary — holds Hong Kong SFC Type 1 (dealing in securities), Type 4 (advising on securities), and Type 7 (providing automated trading services) licences. This permits institutional crypto-asset activity from the Hong Kong entity for Asia-Pacific institutional clients, regulated under the SFO framework.
Abu Dhabi ADGM Authorisation
AMINA's Abu Dhabi subsidiary operates under the Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Permission framework, serving GCC institutional clients. ADGM is one of the most-developed crypto-regulatory jurisdictions in the Gulf region.
What Happened With AMINA Bank?
April 2018 Founding (as SEBA Bank): SEBA Crypto AG founded in Zug, Switzerland by Guido Bühler, Andreas Amschwand, and others — positioned as a regulated bank for digital assets from inception. Initial team drawn from UBS and Credit Suisse private banking.
August 2019 — FINMA Banking Licence: FINMA grants SEBA Bank a full Swiss banking licence — second crypto-native operator (after Sygnum) to receive this authorisation. The licence covered institutional crypto custody, trading, lending, and advisory services under Swiss banking law.
2020-2023 Asia Expansion: SEBA Bank obtains Hong Kong SFC and Abu Dhabi ADGM authorisations via separately-incorporated subsidiaries. Institutional client base expands from European DACH-region focus to Asia-Pacific and GCC.
2024 Rebrand to AMINA Bank: SEBA Bank rebranded as AMINA Bank in 2024, reflecting new majority shareholder and capital raise (~US$103M Series B). Operating entities remained the same; the rebrand signaled a strategic refocus around institutional positioning and Asia-Pacific growth.
Key Risk Factors
Institutional + HNW Only
n/a (retail)AMINA's onboarding is designed for institutional and HNW clients; specific minimum balances are not publicly disclosed but are substantial. Retail users cannot use AMINA.
Crypto Holdings Not Depositor-Insured
n/a (structural)Swiss esisuisse covers CHF fiat deposits up to CHF 100,000 — crypto holdings are NOT covered. The protection mechanism for customer crypto is statutory segregation under the 2021 DLT Act Article 16 (insolvency segregation) plus FINMA prudential supervision of custody operations — not a depositor-guarantee scheme.
No EU MiCA Passport (in progress)
lowAMINA is in the MiCA-CASP application process for EU passporting; currently EU customers are served via direct cross-border arrangements rather than under MiCA. Verify current EU status before relying on AMINA for EU-resident institutional needs.
Not Available in the US
n/a (geographic)Like Sygnum and Xapo Bank, AMINA does not serve US persons. US institutional clients seeking comparable bank-grade crypto custody should evaluate OCC-NTBC-chartered Anchorage Digital or state-chartered SPDI institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AMINA Bank a real bank? +
What's the relationship between AMINA Bank and SEBA Bank? +
Are my crypto assets insured at AMINA? +
Can US persons use AMINA? +
How does AMINA compare to Sygnum? +
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