7. Bitcoin's Spark

To be sure, bitcoin has been around since 2009 – far before central banks started tinkering with negative interest rates. But the cryptocurrency's recent surge is certainly linked to cheap money being pumped into the financial system by policymakers – be it, like the SNB, to intervene in foreign currency markets or to stimulate the wider economy. Unlike legal tender, bitcoin cannot be diluted: the cryptocurrency's limited issuance is a boon for inflation-wary investors.

Can central banks patch up their citizens' eroding trust in traditional money, and mop up the glut of freshly-printed money being issued? As cryptocurrencies surge, the question becomes more pressing for policymakers and officials. 

8. Strong Franc = Job Killer

A strong franc hits banks harder than it does industry or other firms because the bulk of finance's revenue is in dollars, euros, or other currency while its revenues – the clue is in the name «Swiss banking» – are in francs. Boris Collardi, boss of Julius Baer until six weeks ago, cut 200 jobs at the Swiss private bank as a result of «Frankenschock», as the lifting of the cap was known domestically.

A strong currency pairs with costly regulatory requirements and emerging fintech challengers to spur banks into cutting the fat to become nimbler. Being agile and competitive is a good thing, certainly – in Swiss banking, it has unfortunately often come at the expense of the rank and file only.