Over the past weeks, we’ve spoken openly about who we are, what has changed around us, and why we made certain decisions that were not always easy — but necessary.
This is the full picture.
Pocket was built on a simple conviction: buying Bitcoin should not require you to give up control. When you purchase through Pocket, your Bitcoin goes directly to your own wallet — not to an account held on your behalf, not into a system where you must later request a withdrawal, but straight into your custody from the very first satoshi.
That principle remains unchanged.
What has changed is the environment in which we operate. Regulatory frameworks in Switzerland and across Europe have evolved significantly over the past year. Thresholds were lowered, reporting standards expanded, and expectations around compliance increased for every company operating in this space.
To remain independent, fully compliant, and operational for the long term, we introduced full verification for all users. We understand that this step can feel frustrating — especially in a community that values autonomy and discretion. That is precisely why we made a deliberate choice: verification is handled internally, on our own infrastructure, without outsourcing sensitive data to external KYC providers.
We collect what is legally required. Nothing more. We store it securely. We process it ourselves. We minimize exposure wherever possible.
Anonymity is not always achievable within a regulated framework. Privacy, however, still is — and that is the standard we commit to.
At the same time, we strengthened the foundation beneath the product. We unified our SEPA and SEPA Instant infrastructure, moved our banking connections closer to where we operate, and laid the groundwork for future improvements such as personal virtual IBANs. These changes are not flashy, but they are essential if you want reliability, speed, and operational resilience over many years — not just one market cycle.
Infrastructure should be invisible when it works. That is the goal.
Through all of this, some things have not moved at all:
- We remain Bitcoin-only.
- We remain non-custodial by design.
- We never hold customer coins.
- We support hardware wallets natively.
- We support Lightning.
- We provide real human support when you need it.
More than 50,000 people across Switzerland and Europe have chosen Pocket as the way they accumulate Bitcoin while keeping control over their own keys. That trust is not a growth metric to us — it is a responsibility.
We are not here to optimize for hype. We are not here to chase every trend. We are here to build durable infrastructure that allows people to hold their own Bitcoin, securely and simply, within a framework that can endure regulatory change and market volatility alike.
Pocket is, and remains, a place you can confidently send your friends and family — because simplicity, transparency, and self-custody are not marketing slogans for us.
They are design principles. Bitcoin was built for sovereignty.
Our job is to make that sovereignty accessible, responsibly and sustainably.
And that is what we will continue to do.
