Atupri Health Insurance, Switzerland based top health insurer, has started accepting Bitcoin and Ether as payments by existing and new policyholders. In this regard, the insurance company is collaborating with cryptocurrency financial service provider Bitcoin Suisse for enabling its 200,000 clients to effect payment in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
Bern based Atupri will not retain any cryptos but will receive payments in francs as the BTC or ETH paid by a customer will immediately get converted into domestic fiat curreny by Bitcoin Suisse. Atupri, which generated about $887 million in sales last year, has clarified that policyholders will bear mining (aka transaction confirmation) fees, if any.
Caroline Meli, Head of Marketing and Sales at Atupri, explained the strategy adopted by the company:
“As digital pioneers in the healthcare sector, we anticipate social trends and offer insurance solutions with long-term prospects. Blockchain technology and the associated use of cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly important.”
Bitcoin Suisse acts as custodian for over $1 billion worth assets and has been gaining ground in financial industry for a while. Back in May, the crypto broker started providing custodial and staking service for Tezos (XTZ) and listed precious metals such as silver, gold and platinum for trading on its platform.
The firm has plans to conduct a security token offering in 2021 and list its offering on the exchange by 2022.
Swiss residents usually lead cryptocurrency solutions. The country hosts ‘Crypto Valley,’ a crypto and blockchain friendly region located in the city of Zug where numerous institutions and even public transport facilities accept crypto as mode of payment. Of late, the Swiss municipality of Zermatt started facilitating a Bitcoin tax payment option in collaboration with Bitcoin Suisse.
