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Putting blockchain to use in your own company: from vision to genuine application

06.06.2025

For many SMEs, blockchain sounds like a vision of the future. But more and more, the technology is already a real thing now. Whether for payments, contracts or investments, growing numbers of applications are showing how companies can benefit from it. If you get to grips with it early on, you can make systematic use of new opportunities.

At a glance

  • Blockchain is evolving from a vision into a practical technology with real benefits for companies.
  • In cross-border payment transactions in particular, blockchain-based solutions promise greater efficiency, transparency and lower costs.
  • Blockchain-based currencies such as stablecoins are gaining in importance as a digital money layer for automated processes and AI-supported payments.
  • Specific projects are underway in Switzerland, such as the deposit token, which holds the promise of a modern and stable digital payment infrastructure.

Blockchain is now coming of age. While it may have sounded like a vision of the future just a few years ago, it’s now being tested in real-life projects. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this opens up a new world of opportunities, with more efficient workflows, faster payments, transparent processes. The technology is no longer in its infancy: it’s starting to create real added value.

In the future, this potential will be particularly clear in cross-border payment transactions, which as the backbone of every business relationship require reliable, fast and traceable processes. This is precisely the promise of blockchain: more efficient processes, less expensive payments and real-time transparency in transactions.

PostFinance expert statement: why is blockchain relevant for SMEs?

Alexander Thoma, Head of Digital Assets, explains why blockchain is seen as a key infrastructure for future financial processes.

From hype to application: the Gartner hype cycle

But how far has the technology really come? Many technological advances start with a great deal of enthusiasm – before quickly dropping off the radar. Others take time to realize their potential. To better understand these dynamics, market research institute Gartner has developed a model: the Gartner hype cycle. This model shows how new technologies typically mature, from inflated expectations followed by a period of disillusionment to widespread, practical application.

The Gartner hype cycle for blockchain applications

In the blockchain ecosystem, this pattern is particularly clear: for a long time, it was not clear whether cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, tokenization or stablecoins were just short-term hype, or whether they would provide genuine benefits. Now we know: some applications are maturing technologically and will create real added value.

Hype Cycle for Web3 and Blockchain, 2024

Gartner Hype Cycle 2024 for Blockchain: Points out the stages of maturity technologies such as cryptocurrencies, smart contracts and tokenization along typical development timelines.
Source: Gartner

Cryptocurrencies are particularly popular among private customers, whether for investment or trading. Companies and institutional investors, such as pension funds or asset managers, remain very cautious. Clear rules, standards and the right infrastructure are often lacking.

Nevertheless, the topic is now a real thing. The first professional investors are including Bitcoin and other crypto assets as a small addition in their investment strategy.

The Gartner hype cycle also sees cryptocurrencies on the verge of breaking into the mass market. According to Gartner, this is likely to take another two to five years. Over this period, the infrastructure must continue to develop, the regulatory framework must become clearer, and trust needs to grow.

Smart contracts are seen as a key to the development of automated, trustworthy processes. These are self-executing contracts on the blockchain where all parties agree on predefined rules without the need for any central authority. This saves time, reduces costs and minimizes sources of error.

This could be of real interest to SMEs, for example, for the very small amounts received as micropayments. Smart contracts also show their potential in supplier agreements where payments are triggered automatically by receipt of a delivery.

The Gartner hype cycle is unambiguous in this case: while the benefits of smart contracts are undisputed, many implementations are still complex. According to Gartner, they will likely realize their full potential in five to ten years, particularly in automated business processes.

Stablecoins are more advanced. A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency whose value is linked to a reference such as the US dollar or euro in order to minimize price fluctuations. They therefore constitute a digital, stable bridge between traditional money and blockchain technology by combining reliability with high speed, transparency and programmability. This would enable them to play a key role in payment transactions in the future, particularly for cross-border transactions, where traditional systems are often slow and more expensive.

According to Gartner, stablecoins are almost ready for the mainstream. They could be in wide use in less than two years. They are seen as an important link between the traditional world of finance and the crypto economy.

Tokenization is about the digital reflection of the value of real assets, such as real estate, shares or works of art, in the form of tokens on a blockchain. These digital assets can be traded around the clock, divided into small shares and managed more efficiently than traditional proof of ownership. This makes investments more accessible, reduces costs and creates new opportunities.

Despite high expectations, tokenization is still in the so-called “valley of disappointment,” according to Gartner. Customer demand is lacking in many places, as are standards and practical applications. Gartner estimates that it will take another five to ten years for the technology to really take off.

Why blockchain is redefining payment transactions

Payment processes are a key component of the global economic system. Without a well-functioning infrastructure, companies cannot participate efficiently in global markets, and the infrastructure is starting to reach its limits: international transfers can take several days, and are sometimes expensive and difficult to track. For payments outside the SEPA area in particular, new solutions are needed: solutions that are fast, direct and 24/7.

PostFinance expert statement: areas of application for tokenization

Marianne Zentriegen, Head of Payment and Debit Solutions, explains the future potential of blockchain-based payments in international payment transactions.

This is where blockchain technology comes in. It offers a new level of quality in payment transactions:

  • Real-time processing instead of days of delays
  • Worldwide availability, 24/7, regardless of business hours
  • Cost reduction through the elimination of intermediaries
  • Transparency and full traceability of transactions
  • Programmability for automated payment processes

Stablecoins as a new layer of money on the internet

Stablecoins play a key role in this development. They are digital reflections of national currencies such as the US dollar. Their decisive advantage over traditional cryptocurrencies is in their stable value, which their pegging to real currencies ensures.

As a digital, programmable currency, stablecoins combine the stability of a fiat currency with the technological strengths of blockchain, making them the basis for modern, automated payment solutions:

  • Transactions within a matter of seconds
  • Significantly lower fees
  • Real-time transparency
  • Automated payment logic

Blockchain applications now and in the future

Stablecoins are now one of the most visible applications of blockchain technology. Their applications range from cross-border payments to the processing of transactions in trade or tokenized assets.

When machines trigger payments

With every new technology, requirements also change, especially where artificial intelligence (AI) is used. In the future, AI systems will increasingly be able to trade, negotiate and initiate payments independently. Ensuring that processes of this kind function reliably and around the clock means a need for digital, programmable money. Or to put it another way, where software makes the decision, software should also be able to make the payment. Stablecoins could fill this gap, moving to the heart of an economy in which people and machines trigger transactions in equal measure.

Projects in focus: the deposit token and Project Agorá

Many stablecoins have proven their worth in practice and are technically reliable. However, most of them are issued by international tech companies. This raises fundamental questions: how transparent is the coverage? How stable is the provider? And how safe are deposits in the event of a crisis?

Particularly for systemically important use in payment transactions, the necessary regulatory safeguards and trust in a stable infrastructure are often lacking. This is precisely where Switzerland comes in, with specific projects for a trustworthy blockchain-based money infrastructure.

  • Regulated Swiss banks – including PostFinance – are working with the Swiss Banking Association to develop the deposit token. This is fully backed by bank deposits and specifically designed for digital payment transactions. Integration into the existing financial system creates trust, particularly for blockchain applications where legal clarity is crucial.

  • In Project Agorá, the Swiss National Bank is working with six other central banks, the Bank for International Settlements and selected commercial banks, one of which is PostFinance. Its goal is to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper and more interoperable. The aim is for tokenized deposits and digital central bank money to work together seamlessly.

Potential for Swiss SMEs

These developments offer tangible benefits, for small and medium-sized enterprises in particular. Especially for international payments outside the SEPA area, digital solutions enable more efficient processes and, depending on the provider, could also result in lower fees. They also ensure faster processing, a clear advantage in terms of liquidity. And digital payments can be integrated directly into existing processes, for example, in logistics or e-commerce, or for recurring invoices.

This is giving rise to new, automated business models that can save time and open up new sources of revenue. The next three to five years will likely see a great deal of change, both technological and regulatory. For SMEs, this means that the earlier you get yourself up to speed, the earlier you can take advantage of new opportunities.

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An analysis of four key areas of the blockchain hype cycle shows there is a great deal of change at present and where there is still need for action.

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