A tiny province in Switzerland is proving such a magnet for blockchain startups that it’s increasingly being compared to California’s famed Silicon Valley.
The 30-kilometer stretch of land from Zurich to Zug, known as ‘Crypto Valley’, boasts progressive laws, a competitive hiring environment and low taxes, and it’s this unique mix that has attracted entrepreneurs looking for a place to gain traction amid an uncertain international legal climate.
We’re living in a fiat world. Money has value because the government says so. Even if they keep the printing presses running in an effort to stimulate the economy, the greenback is still backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.
Industry experts may by surprised to see the conservative Swiss leading the global FinTech revolution. Yet in recent years more and more start-ups are establishing themselves in the country, including leading international names such as Xapo, Monetas and Ethereum. Along with over a dozen other companies, they are forming the Crypto Valley cluster around the region of Zug.
Talking Sibos looks at the event from the heart of the exhibition floor. Presented by Steven Chia and Nadine Dereza, talking to exhibitors and delegates about life at Sibos 2016.
Fintech Finance report live from the Swiss Fintech Corner at Sibos 2016, the world’s leading financial services conference. Vitus Ammann, CMO, discusses the Monetas advanced transaction platform and a future of Central Bank Digital Currency.
In the world of digital currencies, bitcoin, not cash, is king. Experts say this could either be the future of money or a speculative bubble that looks a lot like the days of dotcom.
Première ville au monde dont les autorités acceptent les paiements dans la monnaie virtuelle bitcoin, la cité de Suisse centrale est parvenue à se placer sur la carte de la cryptofinance. La Ville se propose de créer un environnement propice à la technologie blockchain et au bitcoin. Les start-up affluent.
In diesem Jahr gab es in der Liste der 100 wichtigsten Bankerinnen und Banker viele Verschiebungen. Hintergrund ist die dramatisch verschlechterte Lage der Branche, in der die Margen unaufhörlich sinken und neue Herausforderungen wie die Negativzinsen zusätzlich auf die Gewinne drücken.
Bitcoin news this week will appeal to the more sensitive type, with news of young love and commitment. Investors in the digital currency are buying bitcoin in physical form for the long term, and a town in Switzerland is a honeymoon spot for bitcoin venture capitalists — “Crypto Valley.”
En quelques années, le petit canton suisse de zoug est devenu la capitale mondiale de la cryptofinance. Dans le sillage d’un sud-africain pionnier, des entrepreneurs du monde entier y ont convergé pour produire et échanger ces devises virtuelles, comme le bitcoin et l’ether, ou inventer nos futurs porte-monnaie numériques.
“I believe crypto finance is the next big wave after the internet,” Johann Gevers told Reuters. “The country that succeeds in being the friendliest jurisdiction to attract crypto finance companies— that’s gonna be the financial center of the future.”
June 17, 2016
Think of European startup hubs, and places like Berlin, London, Amsterdam and Paris invariably spring to mind. Switzerland, and its capital Zurich, as a rule, does not, yet this country, best known for its banks, cheese, watches and chocolate, is home to some cool and very exciting tech startups.
May 26, 2016
Will a financial revolution follow the Jasmine uprising in Tunisia? A Swiss start-up, Monetas, is proposing just that, saying a new mobile phone payment technology will transform people’s lives there.
April 06, 2016
The 50 financial technology (fintech) businesses most likely to revolutionise the world of money, from currency transfer start-ups to invoice sharing apps, have been unveiled – and almost two-thirds hail from the UK.
The FinTech50, now in its fourth year, aims to celebrate the most exciting and innovative companies shaking up the traditional finance industry.
February 12, 2016
Just 25 km south of Zurich, Switzerland, is a small and picturesque town named Zug. At least 15 businesses in the industry, including Xapo, Monetas, Ethereum, and ShapeShift have made “CryptoValley Zug” their home.
February 01, 2016
The financial industry has discovered the potential of Blockchain technology. SRF Eco report with commentary from Monetas, R3 Consortium, SIX Group, and PWC Strategy&.
The start-up R3 has united more than 40 global banks, including Credit Suisse and UBS. Together, they are exploring future applications of blockchain technology for the banking industry. “We believe that blockchain technology can revolutionize financial services in the same way the Internet revolutionized media and entertainment,” said R3 CEO Charley Cooper.
November 11, 2015
Mit Monetas können Vermögenswerte schnell, sicher und günstig transferiert werden. Besonders in Afrika findet die Plattform Anklang.
November 01, 2015
Monetas’ new technology, launched in Tunisia in October, uses cryptofinance to bring transaction costs down, explains Johann Gevers.