Faced with competitive urgency in the crypto-banking market, developing an internal solution would take years. Banks no longer have that much time. Fortunately, there is a solution: the partnership approach, which combines rapid execution, technological excellence and regulatory security.
By Nafissatou Ndiaye, Product Manager Assets at Sopra Steria
For traditional banking institutions, the time for experimentation is over: it has become necessary to enter the crypto universe. But how can a traditional bank compete with the agility of crypto-native fintechs whilst meeting the security and compliance requirements incumbent upon it?
The answer lies in an approach we might call "partnership orchestration": rather than reinventing the wheel, it involves selecting the best specialist players and integrating them into a coherent solution. Well executed, this strategy can transform a development project that would take several years into a six-month deployment.
The impossible equation of internal development
Building a crypto infrastructure from scratch represents a titanic challenge for a traditional bank. The required skills are rare and specialised: advanced cryptography, wallet management, blockchain interfacing, anti-money laundering compliance specific to digital assets. Recruiting to acquire this expertise and developing the corresponding solutions requires between 18 and 36 months of investment.
And during this time, the competition advances. Revolut already generates 25% of its revenue through crypto, whilst N26 and other neobanks consolidate their positions with younger generations. Waiting becomes strategically suicidal.
The crypto ecosystem also evolves more rapidly than traditional banking development cycles. A solution developed internally risks becoming obsolete before it even goes into production. Standards change, regulations become clearer, client expectations shift.
The power of the ecosystem
The partnership approach capitalises on an ecosystem of technology companies that have invested hundreds of millions in their respective areas of expertise. Fireblocks has raised over $800 million to become the global reference for institutional custody. Chainalysis has established itself as indispensable for crypto compliance with a valuation of several billion. Wyden excels in order execution and liquidity management. Aplo positions itself as a major player in institutional crypto brokerage experiencing strong growth.
These players process colossal volumes daily for hundreds of global financial institutions. Their operational robustness is proven, and they are capable of complying with sector regulations. No bank could individually replicate this accumulated expertise.
The intelligent orchestration of these building blocks creates a solution that equals the best crypto platforms whilst meeting the most demanding banking standards. It's the principle of "best of breed" applied to financial innovation.
Six months to revolutionise banking services
Sopra Crypto Solutions concretely illustrates this approach. By integrating Fireblocks, Chainalysis, Aplo and Wyden into a unified platform, we enable banks to offer the purchase, sale and custody of crypto-assets with very rapid time-to-market.
The solution covers the entire value chain: customisable client interface, optimised order management, secure custody, real-time regulatory monitoring, integration with existing core banking systems... Each component benefits from the expertise of its respective champion, whilst integrating harmoniously into the banking ecosystem.
This modular approach also offers strategic flexibility. Banks can adapt their offering according to their priorities: compliance for the most cautious institutions, user experience for those targeting younger generations, service sophistication for wealth management clients.
Beyond technology
The success of the partnership approach goes beyond simple technical integration. It requires sophisticated business orchestration: synchronisation of compliance processes, harmonisation of user interfaces, unification of management reporting.
This orchestration constitutes Sopra Steria's true added value. Our expertise in banking systems, combined with our in-depth knowledge of the crypto ecosystem, enables us to create a solution that speaks the language of banking naturally whilst harnessing the power of crypto innovation.
The platform automatically manages regulatory complexities: automatic freezing rules in case of suspicious activity, transaction archiving for audit purposes, and generation of regulatory reports. This allows teams to find their feet easily.
Democratising crypto innovation
There's no longer any need to be an international bank to offer sophisticated crypto services. A regional bank can access the same technologies as global champions, for an investment proportionate to its size.
This democratisation accelerates crypto adoption at European scale. Rather than a few isolated pioneers, the entire banking sector can position itself in this strategic market.
And the network effect is powerful: the more banks adopt crypto solutions, the more the ecosystem becomes normalised, the faster mainstream adoption accelerates. The partnership approach doesn't just benefit individual banks, it structurally transforms the market.