Yellow Card expands global stablecoin network with Swiss regulatory approval

Yellow Card, the stablecoin infrastructure provider operating across Africa and other emerging markets, has secured a regulatory anti-money laundering (AML) affiliation in Switzerland, allowing it to offer regulated virtual asset-related services through a supervised Swiss entity.

The approval enables institutional and corporate clients to access Yellow Card’s stablecoin infrastructure through its Swiss subsidiary, providing a regulated entry point for businesses and financial institutions looking to move capital into emerging markets using stablecoins.

The regulatory approval comes seven months after Yellow Card discontinued its retail trading business to focus on its business-to-business infrastructure operations.  The company noted at the time that it was doubling down on providing regulated, institutional-grade infrastructure for businesses as a response to the growing demand from enterprises using stablecoins for cross-border payments and treasury management. 

Since then, Yellow Card has expanded its enterprise offerings through partnerships with companies including Visa, Mastercard, Western Union, Thunes, and MoneyGram.

“Stablecoins have become critical infrastructure for global institutions, and compliant access to the rails and payments is a requirement for companies looking to utilise this technology,” Chris Maurice, CEO and co-founder of Yellow Card, said. “Our Swiss subsidiary gives them a regulated, supervised counterparty for accessing our global Stablecoin infrastructure.”

Maurice added that clients will be able to access its payments and settlement network across Africa, Latin America (LATAM), the United States, and other emerging markets through the Swiss entity.

According to the company, its Swiss operations will be led by Olpha Bribech, a French lawyer and member of Yellow Card’s senior management team. The company is also establishing a permanent presence in Lugano, a Swiss city that has emerged as an active blockchain hub through initiatives aimed at attracting digital asset companies and investment.

In 2025, the city completed a CHF100 million ($123 million) blockchain bond issuance, making its fourth, and partnered with stablecoin issuer Tether under the Plan ₿ initiative, which aims to leverage bitcoin technology to transform the city’s financial infrastructure.

“Switzerland holds financial intermediaries to one of the highest regulatory standards in the world, and our Swiss subsidiary was built to meet these standards,” said Craig Stoehr, General Counsel of Yellow Card. “Combined with the licenced infrastructure already in place across our global network, this standard provides our partners a rare combination of regulatory confidence and real operational reach.”

Founded in 2016, Yellow Card operates across more than 50 emerging markets and already holds licences and regulatory authorisations across Africa, including a virtual asset service provider (VASP) licence in Botswana. The company said it would continue pursuing licences, registrations, and authorisations as it expands its global regulatory footprint.