Cyprus vs Cayman Islands: which jurisdiction wins?

Cyprus vs Cayman Islands — both credible, very different trade-offs. Below: side-by-side on the variables that actually move the decision.

	Cyprus	Cayman Islands
Tax headline	12.5% corporate, NID brings effective lower	0% corporate, capital gains, and income tax
Formation days	7	5
First-year cost	$3,500	$4,200
Treaties	65+	Limited
Substance	Substance for treaty access	Economic Substance Law applies to relevant activities
Banking	Bank of Cyprus, Hellenic, plus EMIs	Top-tier prime brokerage and crypto-friendly banking via Cayman National & private banks

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Wrong jurisdiction, wrong substance, or wrong bank shortlist is a 12-month problem. A 30-minute briefing fixes 80% of it.