The combined valuation of the top 50 blockchain-related firms in the Swiss canton of Zug — known as “Crypto Valley” within the industry — fell by nearly half in 2019. Swiss investment firm CV VC debuted a new report at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22, giving an appraisal of the blockchain and cryptocurrency industries in the Crypto Valley during the last year. Per the report, the valuation and subsequent price drop in Ether (ETH), the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum network, led to a 40% drop in valuation of the top 50 firms — from …

The central banks of Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, European Union, Sweden and Switzerland created a group with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to jointly research central bank digital currencies (CBDC). According to a press release published by the Bank of England on Jan. 21, the aforementioned institutions will share their experience with other group members as they study potential use cases for CBDCs in their respective jurisdictions. The announcement states: “The group will assess CBDC use cases; economic, functional and technical design choices, including cross-border interoperability; and the sharing of knowledge on emerging technologies. It will closely coordinate …

Seba, a young Swiss-based digital asset bank holding regulatory licensing, looks to attempt a secondary capital raise to garner over $95 million in additional funds. During the raise, Seba aims to secure 100 million Swiss francs, equivalent to $96.5 million, “from new investors, including financial institutions, family offices and individuals,” Financial News London wrote in a Jan. 17 brief. Recent launch Crypto friendly startup SEBA Bank AG announced its launch on Nov. 12, 2019 after Switzerland’s Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) approved the outfit to operate in the world of securities and banking. Seba raised significant capital in its first …

The United States could learn from China’s innovations in digital currency, says Securities and Exchange commissioner Hester Peirce. Fielding questions via webcam at this week’s Crypto Finance Conference in Switzerland, the public sector leader known as CryptoMom, called for the U.S. to: “Learn from what other countries are doing and take the best of what they’re doing and reject the worst of what they’re doing.” China outpacing U.S. on digital currency Last fall, Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional testimony on Facebook’s Libra leaned heavily on the idea of U.S. innovation falling behind. Now, China’s central bank, which just printed a second-edition manual …

A building on the prestigious Banhofstrasse in Zurich, Switzerland was successfully tokenized and sold on the blockchain today. The new owner of the building is Swiss real estate investment company BrickMark. The company has issued bond-backed crypto tokens that figuratively represent “shares” of ownership in the building. The tokens are currently available to accredited institutional investment professionals who want to cut themselves in on earning some of the building’s rental income and benefit from any rise in the property’s value. Here’s a Google Street View image of Banhofstrasse 52, the building in question. Located in the center of the city …

Where next for crypto custody? Financial institutions, regulators and investors are continuing to grapple with the issue of crypto custody. Hearing stories from those who are plugged into these discussions can offer valuable clarity to what lies ahead. The Crypto Finance Conference in the Swiss ski resort of St. Moritz, which is being held Jan. 15–17, is the perfect forum for lively debate and intelligence about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the industry in the 2020s. Speakers at the event will include Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss — the twins who serve as president and CEO of Gemini …

This is the final part of a three-part series covering the regulatory landscape for cryptos in 2019 and thinking about the prospects for 2020. The first two parts covered the “Insiders” of Europe, North America and the Pacific Rim, and “Outsider” nations such as China, Russia and India. This piece covers the prospects for the “Experimenters”: countries that have made efforts to foster innovation and welcome crypto projects to their shores. The Experimenters and their different paths into the crypto space The Swiss were the first to discover the power of neutrality in the embattled Europe of the 19th century, …

The basket of assets backing Facebook’s Libra stablecoin needs to change in order for the project to be accepted by regulators, according to Switzerland’s President. “Central banks will not accept the basket of currencies underpinning it” Reuters reported on Dec. 27 that Swiss finance minister and outgoing president Ueli Maurer said that Libra won’t be approved because central banks won’t accept the basket of currencies behind it. He concluded: “The project, in this form, has thus failed.” Libra’s conflict with regulators Earlier this month, Libra’s whitepaper was updated to remove dividends payable to those investors, aside from eliminating a potential …

A new year heralds the opportunity for a new beginning. The start of a new life cycle. As the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, the year 2019 will be dealt a fatal blow by old father time, a cold-hearted act of destruction that would inspire Thanos himself. Soon, all that will remain of 2019 will be a handful of dust. For many cultures around the world, the New Year is a time celebrated with gifts. Here’s how anyone can spend their crypto like an oligarch this festive season. Luxury goods So, you’ve bought Bitcoin, managed to prevail the treacherous …

The government of cryptocurrency-friendly Switzerland has shot down the idea of issuing a digital Swiss franc, for now. According to a Dec. 13 press release published on the Federal Council’s website, the Federal Council approved a report exploring the opportunities and risks of issuing a digital form of the country’s national currency, the franc. Following an analysis, the Federal Council concluded that a central bank digital currency (CBDC) cannot meet expectations for payment efficiency, effective monetary policy, and a more stable financial system. The council said: “Universally accessible central bank digital currency would bring no additional benefits for Switzerland at …

Switzerland-based cryptocurrency bank SEBA has expanded its services to nine new countries. According to Finance Magnates on Dec. 12, SEBA revealed that accounts are now fully operational for institutional clients and accredited investors in Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Portugal. As previously reported, SEBA Bank AG (formerly SEBA Crypto AG) is a fully-regulated institution, having secured a banking and securities dealer license from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) in August 2019. Extensive crypto banking services As part of its account services, SEBA offers a SEBAwallet app, e-banking services and SEBA card facilities, with …

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) warned the country that Switzerland is particularly prone to money laundering risks for reasons including the use of blockchain technology. In its first-ever yearly risk monitor report — published by FINMA on Dec. 10 — the regulator warns that blockchain and crypto assets exacerbate the country’s already existing money laundering risks. The document reads: “In addition to [...] traditional money-laundering risks, the financial industry also faces new risks in the area of blockchain technology and the cryptoassets that are attracting growing interest from clients.” Money laundering slows crypto adoption The regulator admits that, …