From swiss banking to bitcoin tokenization: how nexbridge is putting U.S. treasuries on-chain

What happens when a Swiss banker moves to El Salvador to launch a blockchain company?
You get NexBridge—a startup blending regulatory clarity, Bitcoin tech, and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization to bring yield-bearing securities like U.S. Treasuries on-chain.

In this episode of Web3 with Sam Kamani, Michele Crivelli, co-founder of NexBridge, shares his journey from traditional finance to the frontier of blockchain-based RWAs. It’s not just another DeFi project—it’s a regulated infrastructure play with the goal of financial inclusion, starting with El Salvador and expanding across Latin America.

Michele’s journey: from private banking to protocol rails

Before NexBridge, Michele was deep in Swiss banking. But he saw the cracks—stablecoins were useful, but incomplete. They offered dollar access, not dollar yield. For underserved markets, especially those plagued by inflation or lack of banking infrastructure, that yield could be life-changing.

So Michele left Switzerland and launched NexBridge in El Salvador—one of the first countries to enact a digital securities law that provides clear, legal pathways for issuing tokenized assets.

Why El Salvador and why Bitcoin’s Liquid Network?

NexBridge chose El Salvador not just for its legal clarity but for its bold embrace of Bitcoin. And while Ethereum dominates much of the tokenization narrative, Michele made a contrarian bet: Liquid Network, a Bitcoin sidechain, offered stronger security, reduced frontrunning, and built-in compliance tooling.

They wanted to avoid one-off tokens. Instead, NexBridge built repeatable infrastructure—a regulated, modular issuance platform that can scale across asset types.

USDBL: a tokenized Treasury note for the global investor

Their flagship product, USDBL, is a yield-bearing tokenized version of U.S. Treasuries. It’s accessible to anyone with a mobile phone, including the unbanked. This isn't yield farming—it’s a legal, compliant path to stable returns.

Mobile-first access
Compliant from day one
Tailored to emerging markets

For users in inflation-stricken regions like parts of Latin America or Africa, this means saving in dollars and earning yield—without needing a brokerage account.

Beyond Treasuries: tokenized equities, mandates, and SME funding

Michele’s vision for NexBridge doesn’t stop at USDBL.

🔸 They’re working on tokenizing U.S. equities like Apple and Microsoft
🔸 Offering discretionary mandates—risk-adjusted portfolios for users based on appetite and goals
🔸 Helping SMEs in Latin America raise capital via tokenized debt instruments

This isn’t DeFi for speculators—it’s blockchain infrastructure for real-world users.

The go-to-market strategy: partnerships and education

Building compliant rails is just half the battle. The bigger challenge? Distribution. Michele highlights the education gap that exists—even among centralized exchanges (CEXs) and regulators—when it comes to tokenized securities.

He’s actively seeking partnerships with CEXs to list these compliant assets and expand global access. The regulatory groundwork has been laid. Now it’s about scale.

Key takeaway: tokenization isn’t hype—it’s infrastructure

While many projects use tokenization as a buzzword, NexBridge is building the pipes. They’re not here to ride trends—they’re laying down the regulatory and technical foundations for the next wave of accessible finance.

“We’re not trying to disrupt regulation,” Michele says, “we’re working with it.”

Michele’s final ask

If you work at a centralized exchange, crypto infrastructure company, or fintech platform—NexBridge wants to talk. They’re looking for distribution partners who can help get compliant, yield-bearing assets into the hands of those who need them most.

Listen to the full episode

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5uPXDCx95vWjN7au5Yi8C6?si=ea9f3ac2d95047f9
• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/261-from-swiss-banking-to-blockchain-michele-crivelli/id1597706233?i=1000710562927

Connect with Michele & NexBridge

• Website: https://www.nexbridge.io/en
• Michele on X: https://x.com/michelecrivelli
• NexBridge on X: https://x.com/NexBridgeSV
• Michele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-crivelli-0414a121/
• NexBridge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nexbridgesv/

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