Category
Ecosystem
- ecosystem
What Crypto Valley Actually Looks Like in 2026: 1,749 Companies and One Very Expensive Lake
The CVA report says 1,749 blockchain companies. Switzerland captured 47% of European crypto VC in 2025. But what does Crypto Valley actually look like in 2026? A field note from Zug on the numbers, the geography, and the gap between the brochure and the street.
- ecosystem
The UBS Swiss Franc Stablecoin Sandbox: What FINMA's Latest Move Means for CHF Crypto Rails
Six Swiss banks including UBS and Sygnum launched a CHF stablecoin sandbox in April 2026. Here is what the FINMA regulatory framework actually enables, why deposit tokens and stablecoins are different things, and what this means for Switzerland's crypto payment rails.
- ecosystem
The 6 Streets in Zug Where Most Crypto Deals Happen
A geographic field note on Zug's crypto infrastructure: the six streets where blockchain companies cluster, deals get made, and the whole Crypto Valley ecosystem actually runs. With specific addresses, office occupants, and cafes where you'll spot the who's-who.
- ecosystem
Why a USDT Transfer on TRON Can Burn 13 TRX — and How Energy Rental Cuts That by Up to 85%
Sending USDT on TRON the default way burns 6.5 to 13 TRX per transfer. Here is how TRON's energy and bandwidth model actually works, why burning TRX is the expensive path, and how the energy rental market cuts the cost by up to 85% — explained for people who do not live inside crypto.
- ecosystem
Which Crypto Conferences Actually Matter If You Live Near Zug (2026)
A field note on the crypto conferences worth the train ticket from Zug in 2026 — Crypto Valley Conference, Web3 Banking Symposium, Point Zero Forum, and the ones you can skip. Dates, locations, and which crowd actually shows up.
- ecosystem
CV Labs and the Zug Co-working Scene: Is the Crypto Valley Hype Real?
CV Labs claims 200+ tenants and the title 'heartbeat of Crypto Valley.' Is the hype real? A field note on what the Zug co-working scene actually looks like — the density, the community events, and why some crypto companies in Zug are not in CV Labs at all.
- ecosystem
The FTX Collapse Through a Zug Lens: What November 2022 Felt Like in Crypto Valley
FTX filed for bankruptcy on November 11, 2022. From inside Zug — the coffeeshops, the CV Labs corridors, the group chats — here is what the week actually felt like, and what it revealed about Crypto Valley's resilience.
- ecosystem
The Year Zug Let You Pay Taxes in Bitcoin: A Field Note from 2021
In February 2021, Canton Zug became the first Swiss canton to accept Bitcoin and Ether for tax payments — up to CHF 100,000 per bill. A field note on what it meant, how it actually worked, and why the real story is more interesting than the headline.
- ecosystem
Crypto Winter in Crypto Valley: How Zug's Web3 Ecosystem Survived 2018-2019
From the inside: what the 2018-2019 crypto winter actually felt like in Zug — which projects folded, which firms stayed, and why the SEBA and Sygnum banking licenses in August 2019 mattered more than any price chart.
- ecosystem
The ICO Boom Seen From Zug: What 2017-2018 Was Actually Like Here
From Tezos raising $232M to FINMA's February 2018 guidelines and the Crypto Winter that followed — a field note on what the ICO boom actually looked like from inside Zug, including what worked, what failed, and why Switzerland's approach still mattered.
- ecosystem
Why Ethereum Was Born in Zug: The 2014-2017 Origin Story Most People Get Wrong
Ethereum chose Zug not because of tax rates but because Swiss foundation law gave the 2014 presale legal structure no other jurisdiction offered. A field note on the real origin story — the spaceship house, Stiftung Ethereum, and how Crypto Valley got its name.