The sleepy Swiss city of Zug, in the canton of Zug, is the epicenter of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in Switzerland. Known worldwide as Crypto Valley, the area now has over 1600 blockchain companies and is still growing fast today.
Crypto Valley Companies
There are so many blockchain and crypto companies in Crypto Valley, Zug and the surrounding area now, it is almost impossible to count. There is even a Crypto Valley website which is a hub for members, events and the like
Some of the largest players in the area, many of which are so-called unicorns, include:
Crypto Valley Conference
With such a large and growing crypto, ico and blockchain industry, it is perhaps no surprise that the local community in Zug also has a conference. It has been running since 2018 and is now in its 5th year, with the next conference in June of 2023.
The Crypto Valley Conference will be host to over 1000 attendees and have 40+ speakers during the conference. There will be people from such companies and organisations as:
- Web3 Foundation
- Coinbase
- Cardano
- Genesis
- DeFi Technologies
and a whole lot more.
History Of Crypto Valley
Although cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are now household names, it wasn’t always like that. And having the courage and foresight to focus on crypto in such a small town, in such a small country was never an obvious or easy thing to do.
However, the groundwork for blockchain innovation in Zug was laid many years ago.
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Zug The Tax Haven
Zug itself has been known as a corporate tax haven since the tax system was reformed back in 1946. The idea was to attract international businesses with a low tax rate of 8.5% if they conducted the majority of their business outside of Switzerland.
Today, Zug is renowned as an international business tax haven and companies like Glencore, Xstrata, InBev, GSK, Siemens, and Roche.
Zug The Commodities Trading Hub
Another area that Zug has cornered is in commodities trading. Perhaps it is in part due to the founder of Glencore, Marc Rich being a resident there, but either way, it is renowned for it.
The Swiss government is becoming a little uncomfortable with what often happens in this world and has been more recently looking to regulate things more tightly.
The Start of Crypto Valley
Zug and Switzerland were identified as great places to start blockchain and crypto businesses back in 2009 when things started hotting up in the crypto world. However, it was not until more detailed discussions with the canton took place and the first businesses took root that the name Crypto Valley stuck.
The first Zug-based crypto business was Bitcoin Suisse, which was founded in August of 2013. This was quickly followed by the now-famous Ethereum, which founded a company in Switzerland in 2014 and then located its headquarters in Zug in March of 2015.
Things have moved very quickly since those days and there are now thousands of blockchain-based companies in the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Crypto Valley?
Crypto Valley is located in Zug, Switzerland around is 30 minutes south of the financial hub of Zurich.
Who are the biggest crypto companies?
Some of the biggest crypto companies include: Coinbase, Canaan, XRP, Riot Blockchain and Binance.
