Sygnum Bank, a digital asset banking group, announces a partnership with Debifi, a Bitcoin-backed non-custodial lending platform, to develop MultiSYG, a Bitcoin-native multi-signature lending service. The product, set to launch in next year, is said to be the multi-signature Bitcoin lending solution offered by a regulated bank.
MultiSYG enables borrowers to maintain shared control of their collateral via distributed key management instead of through a single custodian. At the same time, they also benefit from the “competitive rates, flexible drawdown schedule, loan durations – and white-glove service – of a regulated bank.”
MultiSYG allows Sygnum clients to draw fiat loans against their Bitcoin collateral held in a 3-out-of-5 multi-signature escrow wallet. Distributed control requires several private keys to authorise transactions, allowing Bitcoin holders to maintain “visibility of their collateral on-chain.” This is in line with the fundamental principle of “not your keys, not your coins” that resonates within the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Max Kei, CEO and Founder of Debifi explained that MultiSYG’s 3-out-of-5 key structure means borrowers can “verify their collateral on-chain, while continuing to benefit from Sygnum’s banking relationship and service.”
Pascal Eberle, Bitcoin@Sygnum and MultiSYG initiative lead at Sygnum Bank said that borrowers are able to benefit from bank-grade terms in pricing, drawdown flexibility, and loan duration, while “keeping cryptographic proof of their holdings and partial control of their Bitcoin via multi-signature tech.”
They added that MultiSYG combines the “ability to hold your own keys while accessing regulated banking products and white-glove service.”
While other banking institutions require complete custody for Bitcoin-backed loans, MultiSYG’s distributed key management allows customers to maintain verifiable control of their collateral during the loan term – a demand from Bitcoin investors. MultiSYG provides a “cryptographic guarantee that assets are not rehypothecated, a practice common at traditional banks and other lending services providers.”
This positions Sygnum as the regulated bank providing Bitcoin lending that aligns with the self-sovereignty principles enabling institutional Bitcoin adoption.
This is a said to be a differentiator as more firms start to Bitcoin to their balance sheets. MultiSYG will now aim to complement Sygnum’s Credit & Lending portfolio and will be offered to Sygnum Bank clients, regardless of the client’s jurisdiction, after its roll-out in H1 of next year.
Sygnum enables professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets. Their team enables this via so-called institutional-grade security, personal service and portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenization as well as B2B services.
In Switzerland, Sygnum has a banking license and has CMS and Major Payment Institution licences in Singapore. The group is reportedly regulated in the financial hubs of Abu Dhabi as well as Luxembourg and is registered in Liechtenstein.