Smart Valor: Switzerland on the Way to Becoming a Leading Hub for Blockchain Innovation

Switzerland’s Economic Minister, Johann Schneider-Ammann, announced last month that the nation’s focus on crypto should move beyond the Crypto Valley and should now refer to the entire country as a ‘Crypto Nation’. This was a demonstration of commitment from the highest political level for the establishment of the crypto industry in Switzerland.

Last week, this was indirectly confirmed in the form of ICO (Initial Coin Offering) guidelines published by Swiss Financial Regulator, FINMA. It represents one of the first frameworks published by a national financial regulator with the goal of giving guidance to startups and companies around conducting compliant crowdfunding.

This topic will be the leading theme of the 2nd annual Crypto Summit, the largest international conference dedicated to blockchain technology in Switzerland. The Crypto Summit will be held on 27-28th March at Samsung Hall in Zurich. Overall, this event is set to bring together leading figures in the global crypto community including Vinny Lingham (CEO of Civic), Alex Tapscott (CEO NextBlock Global), Kathleen Breitman (CEO Tezos), Tim Draper (a venture investor), Jon Matonis (Founding Director of Bitcoin Foundation) and Ransu Salovaara (CEO of TokenMarket).

Vinny Lingham, Silicon Valley based entrepreneur and CEO of Civic, whose popularity rankings recently made him one of the top 5 people in the blockchain industry worldwide, says "I see a growing need for the establishment of specialized crypto hubs with a recognized regulatory environment and global exposure. Switzerland seems to be on its way to becoming such a hub and I am excited to contribute to it,” says Vinny.

Confirming this stance, several high level officials such as Joerg Gasser, State Secretary for International Financial Matters at the Federal Department of Finance and Parliament Member Ruedi Noser, the driving force behind Swiss innovation and startup support, will also join the conference.

“Being held in Switzerland, the epicentre of blockchain and ICOs, the purpose of this event is to bring together Swiss policy makers, global influencers, investors and startups. This is the best way to have to an open dialog, create impact and shape the future together” says Olga Feldmeier, CEO of SMART VALOR and producer of the Crypto Summit.

This year the Crypto Summit will expand on the previous event’s colourful programme of workshops, keynotes and panel discussions. The conference will also include two new tracks: the Crypto Investment Track and the Tech Track. This year’s summit is set to bring together some of the biggest names in crypto to share their experience and best practices for successful crypto investments and ICO execution, including a keynote from blockchain expert Alex Tapscott.

Tapscott is CEO and founder of NextBlock Global, an investment company in the blockchain industry - and co-founder of the Blockchain Research Institute. He and his father, Wikinomics author Don Tapscott, co-wrote the bestselling book ‘Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business and the World’.

With a keynote titled ‘Global State of Crypto’, Tapscott will be sharing his insights about the trends, opportunities and challenges facing the crypto world right now - and speculating on how the industry might evolve in the near future.

“Switzerland has done a good job of providing regulatory clarity to companies, entrepreneurs and foundations while also not restricting their ability to innovate and iterate,” said Tapscott. “As a result, Switzerland is now a leading hub for this fast moving industry. Other governments should take note and heed this example - get regulations right and create a hospitable environment - and you too can lead in the 2nd era of the internet.”

Last year this event became the first international blockchain conference in Switzerland, with 85% of speakers coming from outside of Switzerland and over 30 countries represented among attendees. The keynote was delivered by William Mougayar, one of the key thought leaders in the crypto financing field. This years edition devoted to the theme “Shaping crypto together” is currently open for speaker and sponsor registration.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

About SMART VALOR:

SMART VALOR is a Swiss-based company building a decentralized marketplace for tokenized alternative investments. Its mission is to leverage tokenization and cryptocurrencies to democratize access to wealth. For more information, please visit www.smartvalor.com.

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Contact information

Clarity PR for Smart Valor
Helen Frear
smartvalor@clarity.pr
+44 (0) 20 7100 1333