AllUnity, a joint venture between DWS, Galaxy, and Flow Traders, has expanded its stablecoin lineup with a new token pegged to the Swiss franc, which has emerged as a haven darling for major banks and analysts.
The BaFin-regulated e-money institute has unveiled CHFAU, which is backed 1:1 by Swiss franc reserves, in response to institutional demand for regulated digital CHF for payments, settlements, and treasury operations.
It debuts on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC-20 token, with plans to expand to other networks later this year.
“In response to strong demand for a compliant digital Swiss Franc, we progressed from concept to launch in a matter of months, demonstrating the strength and scalability of AllUnity’s multicurrency platform,” Alexander Höptner, CEO of AllUnity, said in a press release shared with CoinDesk.
“This milestone is just the start of a broader transformation in how global liquidity moves,” said.
The debut is a sign of growing investor demand for stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies beyond the U.S. dollar. Last year, AllUnity debuted the EUR-stablecoin, while several other firms have issued tokens pegged to other fiat currencies such as JPY.
The debut signals surging demand for stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies beyond the dollar. Last year, AllUnity launched its EUR-pegged token, joining others that have issued JPY-tied alternatives. The stablecoin market has exploded since 2020, hitting $310 billion in combined value, with dollar-pegged tokens in pole position.
Safe haven CHF
Prospects for CHF-linked assets look bright as the currency is gaining notoriety as a better haven currency than the widely popular Japanese yen.
A safe haven currency is a stable, liquid currency that investors seek to hold during periods of economic uncertainty, political turmoil, or market volatility to protect their capital.
“If you’re a fiscal basket case, markets weaken your currency and push up government bond yields. Japan and Switzerland are polar opposites: Japan is a basket case, Switzerland is a massive safe haven,” Economist Robin Brooks said on X, echoing what Bannockburn Global Forex’s Chief Market Strategist Marc Chandler told CoinDesk last year.
Investment banking giant Morgan Stanley has compared the Swiss franc to gold, calling for a 17% appreciation against the U.S. dollar.
“CHF is an overlooked, under appreciated asset safe haven asset that looks set to appreciate more substantially and speedily than investors think and markets anticipate,” the bank said this week.
Goldman and Bank of America revealed a bias for franc over yen as haven currency in September last year.