Bitcoin proponents in Switzerland have launched a campaign to initiate a National Referendum, urging the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to include the leading digital asset in its reserves.

Spearheaded by Yves Bennaïm, founder and chairman of the nonprofit think tank 2B4CH, and backed by Luzius Meisser, chairman of asset manager Bitcoin Suisse, the campaign aims to gather 100,000 valid signatures from Swiss citizens to proceed with the referendum.

If successful, the referendum could take up to five years to complete, with all Swiss nationals voting on the proposed constitutional amendment. Meisser will also advocate for Bitcoin at the upcoming Swiss National Bank's general assembly, following his previous efforts in 2022 urging the bank to prioritize Bitcoin investments over German government bonds.

Bennaïm's 2B4CH initiated the Bitcoin Initiative in 2021, seeking to establish BTC as a reserve currency in the Swiss Constitution. Despite facing delays, Bennaïm explained that the process required discussion and timing, allowing the SNB the opportunity to consider adopting Bitcoin before proceeding with the official procedure.

Success in this endeavor would position Switzerland as the first Western country to embrace Bitcoin, though it would lag behind El Salvador, which has made significant BTC investments and adopted it as legal tender.