The Federal Council decided on 4 November 2026 to align Switzerland with the measures of the EU's 21st sanctions package against Russia and Belarus, and the WBF had already expanded and adjusted the sanctions lists on 3 November 2026. In the financial sector, the Federal Council further tightened measures against cryptocurrencies: Russian nationals and persons resident in Russia may no longer acquire ownership of Swiss companies providing crypto-related services, regardless of the type of service.
正文中的日期: 2026-11-04 Sanctions list changes enter into force at 23:00. · 2026-11-05 Sectoral measures enter into force.
建议核查的事项
Check whether any clients, beneficial owners or counterparties are listed under the updated Russia and Belarus sanctions lists and whether assets must be frozen.
Review whether any Swiss crypto-service providers in the client base or ownership chain involve Russian nationals or persons resident in Russia.
Review the procedure for reporting affected business relationships to SECO and for escalating suspicions under the AML rules (Art. 6 and Art. 9 AMLA).
FINMA launches consultation on the partially revised Circular 2019/2 “Interest rate risks – banks”
FINMA launched a consultation on a partial revision of Circular 2019/2 “Interest rate risks – banks”, which runs until 15 January 2027. The revision implements recalibrated interest rate shocks from the Basel Committee (July 2024) and findings from the ex-post evaluation of the circular published on 26 November 2025. It concerns banks' measurement, management, monitoring and controlling of interest rate risks in the banking book, with greater account taken of effects on banks' revenues.
正文中的日期: 2027-01-15 End of FINMA consultation on the partially revised Circular 2019/2 “Interest rate risks – banks”
建议核查的事项
Check whether the banking book interest rate risk measurement methodology reflects the recalibrated Basel shocks referenced in the consultation.
Review how interest rate risk effects on revenues are currently captured in interest rate risk management and monitoring.
Consider whether to submit a response to the consultation draft before 15 January 2027.
FINMA published a notice that the WBF amended the annex to the Nicaragua sanctions ordinance of 24 June 2020 by changing the list of sanctioned persons, entities and organisations. The SESAM sanctions database has been updated accordingly and the changes enter into force on 3 November 2026 at 23:00. The notice concerns all financial intermediaries, which must implement the prohibitions, freeze assets of sanctioned persons and report affected business relationships to SECO.
正文中的日期: 2026-11-03 Amended Nicaragua sanctions list enters into force at 23:00
建议核查的事项
Check whether any clients, beneficial owners or counterparties match the amended Nicaragua sanctions list in SESAM.
Review procedures for freezing assets and reporting affected business relationships to SECO.
Consider whether any suspicion requires further clarification under Art. 6 AMLA and, if not resolved, a report to the Money Laundering Reporting Office under Art. 9 AMLA.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (WBF) amended Annex 2 of the Swiss Sudan sanctions ordinance (SR 946.231.18) on 2 November 2026. The SESAM sanctions database was updated accordingly, with the urgent changes entering into force on 3 November 2026 at 23:00. The publication concerns all financial intermediaries.
正文中的日期: 2026-11-03 Urgent changes to Annex 2 of the Sudan ordinance enter into force at 23:00.
建议核查的事项
Check whether the amended Annex 2 entries in SESAM affect any existing customers or beneficial owners.
Review whether any affected business relationships must be frozen and reported to SECO under the ordinance.
Assess whether any suspicion requires further clarification under Art. 6 AMLA and possibly a report to the Money Laundering Reporting Office under Art. 9 AMLA.
AI & Digital Transformation – New Opportunities for Private and Public Organisations
FINMA Chair Marlene Amstad delivered a speech at the SBA Digital Finance Day on 3 November 2026 on AI and digital transformation in finance and the public sector. The address covers the exposure of finance to AI, a survey of about 400 supervised institutions on AI use, and FINMA's own use of AI, including a new pilot.
SECO published an amendment to the list of persons, companies and organisations sanctioned under the Taliban-related ordinance of 21 March 2025 (SR 946.231.07), following a UN Sanctions Committee decision of 29 October 2026. The amendment applies directly in Switzerland, and SECO updated its SESAM sanctions database on 30 October 2026.
正文中的日期: 2026-10-30 SECO adapted the SESAM sanctions database to reflect the amended UN list entries.
建议核查的事项
Check whether the updated SESAM database entries affect any existing client or beneficial owner relationships.
Review whether freezing of assets and reporting to SECO are required for any affected business relationships, as set out in the ordinance.
Consider whether any suspicion requires further clarification under Art. 6 AML Act and, if unresolved, a report to the Money Laundering Reporting Office under Art. 9 AML Act.
Aktualisierte Sanktionsmeldung: ISIL (Da'esh) und Al-Kaida
SECO has amended the list of persons, companies and organisations sanctioned under the ordinance of 21 March 2025 on measures against persons and organisations linked to ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida (SR 946.231.08). The UN Sanctions Committee changed the list by decisions of 24 and 26 October 2026, which apply directly in Switzerland, and SECO updated the SESAM database on 27 October 2026. Financial intermediaries are asked to implement the prohibitions, freeze assets of listed persons and report affected business relationships to SECO.
建议核查的事项
Check whether the amended SESAM list affects any existing client, beneficial owner or counterparty in your records.
Review whether any affected business relationships require freezing and reporting to SECO under the ordinance.
Assess whether suspicions that cannot be cleared under Art. 6 AML Act require a report to the Money Laundering Reporting Office under Art. 9 AML Act.
Aktualisierte Sanktionsmeldung: Demokratische Republik Kongo
FINMA published a notice that the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs (WBF) amended Annex 2 of the Ordinance of 22 June 2005 on measures against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SR 946.231.12), changing the list of persons, companies and organisations. The SECO sanctions database SESAM has been updated accordingly, and the change takes effect on the publication date at 23:00.
正文中的日期: 2026-10-21 Amendment to Annex 2 of the DRC sanctions ordinance takes effect at 23:00.
建议核查的事项
Check whether any customers, beneficial owners or counterparties match the amended Annex 2 list in the SESAM database.
Review screening processes to confirm they pick up the updated SESAM entries.
FINMA has approved Switzerland's first exchange-traded retail fund that invests directly in Bitcoin, classified as an other fund for alternative investments with a specific risk. The release states that FINMA granted an exemption from the applicable risk diversification rules because of Bitcoin's long trading history and high trading volume. It stresses that supervised entities must apply FinSA rules of conduct, including clear risk warnings and suitability assessment, when offering cryptocurrency-based financial instruments.
建议核查的事项
Check whether operational and custody risk measures meet the guidance published on 12 January 2026, as referenced by FINMA.
Review whether risk warnings on volatility and the risk of losing money are given when offering cryptocurrency-based financial instruments.
Review the suitability assessment process under the FinSA for cryptocurrency-based products.
Aktualisierte Sanktionsmeldung: ISIL (Da'esh) und Al-Kaida
SECO has amended the list of sanctioned persons, companies and organisations under the Swiss ordinance of 21 March 2025 on measures against persons and organisations linked to ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida (SR 946.231.08), following a UN Sanctions Committee decision of 15 October 2026. The change applies directly in Switzerland, and SECO updated its SESAM sanctions database on 16 October 2026. The publication concerns all financial intermediaries, which are asked to implement the prohibitions, freeze assets of listed persons and report affected business relationships to SECO.
建议核查的事项
Check whether the updated SESAM list contains any matches with existing clients, beneficial owners or counterparties.
Review whether any affected business relationships must be frozen and reported to SECO under the ordinance.
Consider whether suspicion-based clarifications under Art. 6 AML Act and a possible report to the money laundering reporting office under Art. 9 AML Act are required where a match cannot be ruled out.