# Dukascopy Bank: Swiss Bank with Remote Onboarding and Regulated Crypto > Dukascopy Bank SA: Swiss FINMA-licensed bank with remote onboarding, multi-currency accounts, cards and regulated crypto. Fees, limits, who it suits. Author: Гордей Болотько — партнёр, Corporate & Commercial (https://wiki.private.law/authors/bolotko) Last modified: 2026-07-30T15:42:00.000Z Canonical: https://wiki.private.law/en/dukascopy-bank Topics: banking Jurisdictions: switzerland Functional tags: personal-banking, crypto-friendly Semantic tags: personal-banking, crypto-friendly Article type: child --- Dukascopy Bank SA is a Geneva-based Swiss bank and securities firm supervised by FINMA (commercial register CHE-112.086.322), founded on 2 November 2004 by André and Veronika Duka, who hold 99% of the shares. Unlike the neobank and MSB constructs common in this niche, this is a full banking licence: client deposits fall under the Swiss esisuisse protection scheme up to CHF 100,000 (per the bank's own statements). The bank combines a multi-currency account with remote onboarding, payment cards, an investment offering and — unusually for a Swiss bank — FINMA-authorised custody and exchange of cryptocurrencies. Figures below come from [dukascopy.bank](https://www.dukascopy.bank/) and [dukascopy.com](https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/english/about/company/) as of July 2026. ## What the service is Dukascopy started as an online trading house and grew into a licensed bank; secondary sources put the banking authorisation at 2010, though the bank itself simply describes its current status as a FINMA-supervised bank and securities firm. Today the retail proposition is a fully remote Swiss bank account: a multi-currency account in 24 currencies with a personal IBAN and SWIFT, SEPA and Swiss SIX rails, opened via video identification without visiting Geneva. On top of the account sit cards, an investment programme, private banking from $100,000 and corporate accounts (including for brokers and neobanks). The crypto side runs through [dukas.io](https://dukas.io/): buying, selling and holding crypto assets inside the banking perimeter, a P2P crypto-fiat marketplace ([911p2p.io](http://911p2p.io/)), crypto-backed lending, account funding in BTC, ETH and USDT, and the bank's own token, Dukascoin. Compared with the providers on our [OTC page](https://wiki.private.law/en/otc) or crypto banks like [AMINA Bank](https://wiki.private.law/en/amina-bank), the pitch is similar rails but at retail-friendly entry thresholds. ## Key parameters | Parameter | Value | | --- | --- | | Legal entity | Dukascopy Bank SA, Geneva, Switzerland; commercial register CHE-112.086.322 | | Regulation | Bank and securities firm supervised by FINMA; FINMA authorisation for fiduciary custody and exchange of cryptocurrencies (2022–2023) | | Deposit protection | esisuisse up to CHF 100,000 (per the bank; register entry not independently verified) | | Account | Multi-currency, 24 currencies, personal IBAN; SWIFT, SEPA, Swiss SIX | | Cards | Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay — plastic and virtual, via partner issuers (Corner, CBH, Swiss Bankers, Walletto, Moorwand); card balance limit 10,000 CHF | | Crypto | Buy/sell/custody via [dukas.io](http://dukas.io/), P2P crypto-fiat ([911p2p.io](http://911p2p.io/)), crypto lending, funding in BTC/ETH/USDT, own token Dukascoin | | Investments | Stocks, ETFs, bonds; 1% per trade, 1.5% p.a. maintenance; private banking from $100,000 | | Onboarding | Fully remote video identification (FINMA circ. 2016/7); "account in 5 minutes, approval ~24 hours" | | Not accepted | Residents of Russia, Belarus, the US, Japan and other listed countries and territories (see below) | ## Products and crypto The core account is free and multi-currency (24 currencies under one IBAN). Cards come in Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay flavours, plastic and virtual; note that Dukascopy does not issue them itself — issuers are partners such as Corner, CBH, Swiss Bankers, Walletto and Moorwand, and the card balance is capped at 10,000 CHF, which frames the cards as a spending tool rather than a store of value. Crypto is the differentiator: under its FINMA authorisation for fiduciary crypto custody and exchange (obtained in 2022–2023), the bank lets clients buy, sell and hold coins via [dukas.io](http://dukas.io/), fund the account in BTC, ETH or USDT, borrow against crypto and trade peer-to-peer on [911p2p.io](http://911p2p.io/). The bank also runs its own token, Dukascoin, launched via an ICO — a genuinely atypical move for a licensed Swiss bank, and one to treat as a marketing instrument rather than an investment case. The investment programme (stocks, ETFs, bonds) charges 1% per transaction plus 1.5% per year maintenance — materially above discount brokers, so it makes sense mainly as a convenience add-on. ## Licensing and protection of funds Dukascopy Bank SA holds a Swiss banking and securities-firm authorisation and is supervised by FINMA; the corporate details and register number CHE-112.086.322 are confirmed by the bank's [company page](https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/english/about/company/) and the Geneva commercial register. The crypto activity is covered by a separate FINMA authorisation for fiduciary custody and exchange of cryptocurrencies, announced by the bank in [its own release](https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/english/full-news/) (2022–2023). Deposits are stated by the bank to be protected by esisuisse up to CHF 100,000; we could not manually verify the esisuisse register entry, so treat that as the bank's claim, consistent with its licence type. No FINMA enforcement actions against the bank were found in public sources — which is an absence of evidence, not an official clean bill. ## Onboarding and geography Onboarding is fully remote via video identification under FINMA circular 2016/7: the bank advertises "an account in 5 minutes" with approval in roughly 24 hours. The interface is available in Russian, and the bank historically markets to a Russian-speaking audience. The restricted list matters more than the marketing. Per the bank's [FAQ](https://www.dukascopy.bank/faq/), residents of the following are not accepted: Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Japan, North Korea, Myanmar, Sudan and South Sudan, Syria, **Russia**, the US, Venezuela, Yemen and the Comoros, plus Crimea, the so-called DNR/LNR, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria. In practice: residents of Russia and Belarus cannot open an account, while Russian-speaking residents of other countries can — the same residency-first logic described in our guide to [personal accounts abroad](https://wiki.private.law/en/personal-accounts). ## Fees Per the [fees page](https://www.dukascopy.bank/fees/): the account is free (1 EUR/month unless you hold at least 5 DUK+ tokens). Incoming third-party transfers are free up to 50,000 CHF, then 25 CHF (50–150k) and 50 CHF (>150k); on top of that, "complex" sources above 50,000 CHF — dividends, real-estate sale proceeds, crypto — attract +0.5% (min 250, max 5,000 CHF). Outgoing: SEPA 2.3 EUR, non-SEPA 20 EUR, USD 19/35; transfers to crypto exchanges min 25 CHF or 0.5%. FX is interbank +0.5% spread plus a volume fee of 0–1%. Quarterly incoming limits scale with KYC depth. Watch the tail fees: dormancy 500 CHF and 150 CHF for a statement. ## Compliance context and reputation An honest picture requires the downsides. Trustpilot reviews repeatedly complain about account freezes and manual review of payments; large incoming transfers without documented origin routinely get stuck in compliance — which is consistent with the bank's own model of quarterly incoming limits tied to KYC depth and its surcharge on "complex" sources. Prepare [source-of-funds documentation](https://wiki.private.law/en/source-of-funds) before wiring anything substantial. Two further reputational notes. First, the bank actively cross-sells CFD trading — its own disclaimer states that 74.94% of retail accounts lose money. Second, the ICO-launched Dukascoin is not what one expects from a conservative Swiss balance sheet. Neither is a regulatory problem — no FINMA enforcement was found — but both signal a marketing-driven institution rather than a classic private bank. > 🍓 Dukascopy is a real FINMA-licensed bank with esisuisse-level protection and legal crypto rails — a rare combination at retail entry thresholds. But it behaves like a fintech wearing a banking licence: partner-issued cards capped at 10,000 CHF, surcharges on "complex" incoming funds, aggressive CFD and token marketing, and a compliance function that freezes first and asks questions later. Use it as a regulated operating account with crypto access, not as the home for your core capital. ## Who it suits Dukascopy suits clients who want a genuine Swiss bank account opened remotely, with legal crypto buy/sell/custody inside one perimeter and modest balances — and Russian-speaking residents of jurisdictions outside the restricted list, given the full Russian interface. It does not suit residents of Russia, Belarus or the US (not accepted), anyone planning large undocumented inflows (compliance friction plus the 0.5% complex-source surcharge), or investors seeking cheap brokerage (1% per trade, 1.5% p.a.). For institutional-grade crypto custody, [AMINA Bank](https://wiki.private.law/en/amina-bank) or the desks on the [OTC page](https://wiki.private.law/en/otc) are the more natural fit. ## FAQ ### **Is Dukascopy a real bank?** Yes. Dukascopy Bank SA is a bank and securities firm supervised by FINMA, registered in Geneva (CHE-112.086.322), founded in 2004. Deposits are covered by esisuisse up to CHF 100,000 per the bank's statements. ### **Can Russian citizens open an account?** Citizenship is not the test — residency is. Residents of Russia and Belarus are not accepted; a Russian citizen residing in, say, Kazakhstan, Armenia or the UAE can apply. The interface is available in Russian. ### **Is the crypto offering legal?** Yes. The bank holds a FINMA authorisation for fiduciary custody and exchange of cryptocurrencies (2022–2023) and runs buying, selling, custody, crypto-backed lending and BTC/ETH/USDT funding via [dukas.io](http://dukas.io/). ### **What are the main hidden costs?** The +0.5% surcharge (min 250 CHF) on "complex" incoming funds above 50,000 CHF (dividends, property sales, crypto), FX volume fees of up to 1% on top of the 0.5% spread, a 500 CHF dormancy fee and 150 CHF per statement. ### **How fast is onboarding?** Fully remote via video identification (FINMA circ. 2016/7): the application takes about 5 minutes, approval typically around 24 hours. Quarterly incoming limits then depend on how deep your KYC file goes. Cite as: [https://wiki.private.law/en/dukascopy-bank](https://wiki.private.law/en/dukascopy-bank) (reviewed 2026-07-30). --- ## Sources - [Dukascopy Bank — main site](https://www.dukascopy.bank/) - [Dukascopy Bank — fees](https://www.dukascopy.bank/fees/) - [Dukascopy Bank — FAQ (restricted countries)](https://www.dukascopy.bank/faq/) - [Dukascopy — company information](https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/english/about/company/) - [Dukascopy — FINMA crypto authorisation release](https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/english/full-news/) - [dukas.io — crypto services](https://dukas.io/) - Geneva commercial register, CHE-112.086.322 --- ## FAQ ### Is Dukascopy a real bank? Yes. Dukascopy Bank SA is a bank and securities firm supervised by FINMA, registered in Geneva (CHE-112.086.322), founded in 2004. Deposits are covered by esisuisse up to CHF 100,000 per the bank's statements. ### Can Russian citizens open an account? Citizenship is not the test — residency is. Residents of Russia and Belarus are not accepted; a Russian citizen residing in, say, Kazakhstan, Armenia or the UAE can apply. The interface is available in Russian. ### Is the crypto offering legal? Yes. The bank holds a FINMA authorisation for fiduciary custody and exchange of cryptocurrencies (2022–2023) and runs buying, selling, custody, crypto-backed lending and BTC/ETH/USDT funding via dukas.io. ### What are the main hidden costs? The +0.5% surcharge (min 250 CHF) on "complex" incoming funds above 50,000 CHF (dividends, property sales, crypto), FX volume fees of up to 1% on top of the 0.5% spread, a 500 CHF dormancy fee and 150 CHF per statement. ### How fast is onboarding? Fully remote via video identification (FINMA circ. 2016/7): the application takes about 5 minutes, approval typically around 24 hours. Quarterly incoming limits then depend on how deep your KYC file goes. Cite as: https://wiki.private.law/en/dukascopy-bank (reviewed 2026-07-30). --- ## Factual claims - Dukascopy Bank SA is a Geneva-based Swiss bank and securities firm supervised by FINMA (commercial register CHE-112.086.322), founded on 2 November 2004 by André and Veronika Duka, who hold 99% of the shares. - Dukascopy started as an online trading house and grew into a licensed bank; secondary sources put the banking authorisation at 2010, though the bank itself simply describes its current status as a FINMA-supervised bank and securities firm. - On top of the account sit cards, an investment programme, private banking from $100,000 and corporate accounts (including for brokers and необанки). - The core account is free and multi-currency (24 currencies under one IBAN). - Dukascopy Bank SA holds a Swiss banking and securities-firm authorisation and is supervised by FINMA; the corporate details and register number CHE-112.086.322 are confirmed by the bank's company page and the Geneva commercial register. - Onboarding is fully remote via video identification under FINMA circular 2016/7: the bank advertises "an account in 5 minutes" with approval in roughly 24 hours. - Per the fees page: the account is free (1 EUR/month unless you hold at least 5 DUK+ tokens).