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Glossary
Plain definitions of the words used on these pages and around Altiora Capital SA's activity.
- Digital asset
- A value or a right recorded in digital form on a blockchain or a similar ledger, for example a cryptocurrency, a stablecoin or a tokenised security.
- Stablecoin
- A digital asset built to hold a steady value against a reference, usually a fiat currency such as the US dollar, generally backed by reserves held by its issuer.
- Fiat currency
- Money issued by a state, such as the US dollar, the euro or the Swiss franc, as opposed to digital assets.
- On-ramp / off-ramp
- An on-ramp turns fiat currency into digital assets; an off-ramp turns digital assets back into fiat currency and pays it out to a fiat account.
- OTC (over-the-counter) trading
- A trade agreed directly between two parties instead of being placed on a public order book, typically used for large orders to limit price impact.
- Block trade
- A large order executed in a single transaction, usually over the counter.
- Execution
- Carrying out a client's buy or sell order in the market on the best terms available at the time.
- Settlement
- The final exchange of assets and money between the parties to a trade, after which the trade is complete.
- Custody
- Safekeeping of a client's digital assets, which in practice means protecting the cryptographic keys that control them.
- Segregated custody
- Custody in which each client's assets sit in accounts kept apart from the operator's own assets and from other clients' assets.
- KYC (Know Your Customer)
- Checks that establish a client's identity before an account is opened.
- KYB (Know Your Business)
- The company equivalent of KYC: checking the legal entity, its directors and its beneficial owners.
- AML (anti-money laundering)
- Rules and controls that detect and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, including client checks, transaction monitoring and sanctions screening.
- AUM (assets under management)
- The total value of client assets held or managed by a firm on a given date. Altiora Capital SA publishes AUM of USD 20M+ as of October 2026.
- Trading volume
- The total value of trades executed over a period. Altiora Capital SA publishes a monthly trading volume of USD 5–10M as of October 2026.
- Verified client
- A client whose identity and documents have passed the KYC/AML review. Altiora Capital SA counts 250+ verified clients as of October 2026.
- One Stop Shop
- The SwissChain group's platform, operated by Altiora Capital SA, that combines trading, custody and payments in digital assets under one account and one client relationship.