Union Bank Launches Bitcoin And Ethereum Trading For Retail Customers In Philippines

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The UnionBank of the Philippines has launched a pilot program to introduce crypto belongings custody and buying and selling providers for its shoppers. Via collaboration with Metaco, a Swiss know-how firm, UnionBank will quickly provide its retail shoppers providers for buying and selling Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), the latter of which is presently accessible to shoppers of OTC buying and selling platforms.UnionBank is one in every of Asia’s main monetary providers companies. It has been on the forefront of crypto adoption within the nation, rating amongst its high common banks by way of profitability and effectivity. Metaco is a Swiss know-how firm based in 2015 to allow monetary and non-financial establishments to securely handle their digital asset enterprise.UnionBank additionally not too long ago introduced plans to launch a crypto belongings change. The financial institution’s digital asset division will concentrate on the Philippine peso-bitcoin buying and selling pair and tokenisation of Philippine belongings.On November 2, Metaco declared that UnionBank had gone stay on its flagship platform, Harmonize. Harmonize is the digital asset platform developed by Metaco for Union Financial institution. Seamus Donoghue, Chief Progress Officer of Metaco, mentioned that Metaco’s Harmonize permits UnionBank to securely discover a spread of digital asset use circumstances like crypto custody and funding and buying and selling.UnionBank additionally introduced that it’s partnering with crypto change Luno to supply crypto-to-fiat buying and selling for its prospects. The Philippine authorities plans to undertake blockchain know-how to enhance its digital banking and transaction methods. This was introduced at a convention attended by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who emphasised the significance of adopting such know-how for the nation’s monetary sector. Henry Aguda, The Chief Expertise & Operations Officer and Chief Transformation Officer at Union Financial institution lauded the partnership as “being the primary regulated financial institution within the nation to permit digital foreign money change function for shoppers.”Via one other announcement, Metaco President and CEO Roberto S. Ong mentioned that the corporate’s position in offering customer-centric providers to the Philippine market is essential for the financial institution’s purpose to supply customer-centric providers throughout the nation.In a speech revealed in September 2022, Ferdinand Marcos referred to a number of milestones achieved by UnionBank, together with:” The observe document of UnionBank in creating alternatives by means of innovation and digital options within the banking sector is uncontested.”Shashank is founder at yMedia. He ventured into crypto in 2013 and is an ETH maximalist.