Big Four auditor PwC and Swiss blockchain investment firm CV VC, together with Cointelegraph, have released a preview for their new periodical report devoted to blockchain technology in various industries. Published on July 21, the report provides an overview of the upcoming full release featuring the top global blockchain companies focused on implementing blockchain technology in art. The report was co-authored by PwC and CV VC with contribution of PwC Switzerland and Nicolai Reinbold, ecosystem and incubator manager at CV VC. As part of the upcoming full release, CV VC's ecosystem CV Labs will host an online panel to discuss …

Johann Schneider-Ammann, who served as the President of Switzerland in 2016, recently joined the board of Crypto Valley Venture Capital, or CV VC. CV VC is a venture capital firm that invests in crypto firms near Zug, Switzerland, the “crypto valley” of the namesake firm. Corresponding with Cointelegraph, Schneider-Ammann credited CV VC with creating “its own ecosystem,” but saw blockchain as a major factor in Switzerland’s future: “I am fascinated by the potential of this new technology and I am convinced that this gives us in Switzerland a unique opportunity to become a leader in the technology of the future.” …

Switzerland’s existing tax law is applicable to developments in the blockchain industry, the Swiss Federal Council said. According to the federal authority, Switzerland does not need to amend its existing tax legislation in regard to blockchain and distributed ledger technology. No legislative action is necessary regarding the blockchain industry In a June 19 meeting, the Federal Council addressed a report on the need to amend Switzerland’s tax law in response to DLT and blockchain developments. According to the official statement, the existing legislation including income, profit, wealth, capital gains taxes, as well as VAT, “has proved its worth” regarding arrangements …

Blockchain platform Ontology and Swiss crypto-financial service provider Bitcoin Suisse have partnered together in an effort to grow their respective ecosystems in Europe and Asia. The partnership sees Bitcoin Suisse list the Ontology (ONT) token and the Ontology wallet adding support for the CryptoFranc (XCHF) stablecoin. Co-founder of Ontology Andy Ji explained the significance of this partnership in relation to the firm’s European growth strategy: “The timing of this is significant, given our imminent plans to establish an office in Berlin and to expand our European footprint more broadly.” In recent months, Ontology has received token listings from European platforms …

The business of cryptocurrency custody is getting more competitive and lucrative by the day. The most recent announcement has come from Switzerland, where local family-owned bank Maerki Baumann announced on May 29 that it had expanded its cryptocurrency services through the introduction of crypto custody and trading. The private bank first announced its crypto initiatives in 2019 by extending business account services to blockchain companies. Thanks to regulatory approval from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, Maerki Baumann will initially offer trading and custody services on five major cryptos including Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin. The bank’s announcement …

Maerki Baumann, an unlisted family-owned bank in Switzerland, is expanding its cryptocurrency services by introducing crypto custody and trading. Following regulatory approval from the Swiss Financial Market Advisory Authority, or FINMA, Maerki Baumann will be offering its clients the trading and custody of crypto starting from June 2020. Five crypto assets will be available at the launch Announcing the news on May 29, the Zurich-based private bank said that the launch of new crypto features comes in line with Maerki Baumann’s crypto strategy initiated in early 2019. As part of the strategy, Maerki Baumann has been offering business accounts for …

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, or FINMA, has authorized InCore bank to carry out digital assets transactions, allowing customers worldwide to access and transact within the bank. The official announcement represents an important step in creating a blockchain-friendly environment across the EU banking sector. InCore bank becomes the first Swiss business-to-business bank approved to operate within the crypto sphere. The firm now allows the institutional clients to trade, hold, and transfer digital assets. FINMA has also allowed the bank to develop its tokenization capabilities. Partnership with IT crypto-assets consulting firm Speaking with Finews.ch, Mark Dambacher, CEO of InCore Bank, …

For crypto enthusiasts, choosing a location to live in that supports an ideal lifestyle extends beyond searching for a city with a high number of shops and retail outlets that accept crypto. Sure, any crypto enthusiast will benefit from living in an area with easy access to crypto-related amenities. However, as the world of crypto evolves and more crypto debit cards appear, crypto enthusiasts are realizing that direct crypto spending is not the only factor to consider when choosing a place to call home. The political stability of the location, the weather and internet broadband speed are some of the …

On Tuesday, Swiss cryptocurrency financial services firm Bitcoin Suisse introduced precious metal trading against top cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin Suisse has just added gold, silver and platinum for trading on its platform, enabling users to trade the precious metals against major fiat currencies as well as two cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). All three types of assets are available for 24/7 trading Announcing the news on Tuesday, Bitcoin Suisse highlighted that precious metals, fiat currencies and crypto assets are available for 24/7 trading with immediate cash settlement. The news comes shortly after Bitcoin Suisse introduced 24/7 trading with fiat currencies on …

The Swiss government has denied a 100 million franc request by the Canton of Zug for use in keeping local crypto companies afloat, according to local newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. Zug’s finance director Heinz Taennler initiated support for the financial package earlier in April to support local blockchain companies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the answer he’s getting isn’t the one he wanted. The Crypto Valley bailout was reportedly the only one out of “around two dozen” COVID-related applications to be rejected by the federal government. Local crypto firms will have to make do with a 15 million Swiss franc loan …

Major Swiss cryptocurrency broker Bitcoin Suisse has added high-security custodial support and staking services for Tezos (XTZ), with an eye to its institutional clients. In an announcement on May 19, Bitcoin Suisse — which custodies over $1 billion in assets — revealed it was going live with XTZ delegation and custody support using its Bitcoin Suisse Vault, which completed an ISAE 3402 audit by PwC last fall. Similarly to other Proof-of-Stake (PoS)-based blockchains, Tezos investors are able to earn a form of “interest” by staking (depositing) their tokens to both maintain the network and earn rewards. With Tezos in particular, …

Swiss crypto broker Bitcoin Suisse is seeking almost 50 million Swiss francs ($51.5 million) in funding to support its plans for expansion into the banking sector. According to a new report published on May 8, the company is telling investors that it could reach unicorn status, i.e. have a valuation of 1 billion francs ($1.03 billion) by 2025. Ambitions to bank Switzerland and the EU The company has already raised 20 million francs ($20.5 million) in an initial funding round, and has now opened funding up to other investors until mid-June. It hopes to secure at least 46 million francs …