Welcome to Crypto Valley!
Crypto history is written here in Zug since 2013. Crypto Valley was born here, and today it is the largest blockchain and crypto ecosystem in the world. Explore the creation of Crypto Valley, its pioneers, and other people who are contributing to its development. Along the way, we also learn what these technologies are and why they are shaping the future. This website contains information from the Crypto Tour through the city of Zug, which you can access with the CityBot app.
Locations in the Crypto Tour
This is where Crypto Valley history happens.
Films: The History of Crypto Valley
Watch the pioneers of Crypto Valley tell its history. Click on the gear icon to turn on English subtitles.
Cryptocurrencies: How Did It All Begin?
The story of cryptocurrencies begins on October 31, 2008, when an unknown person with the pseudonym “Satoshi Nakamoto” publishes the Bitcoin-Whitepaper. The paper combines existing ideas from cryptography, monetary policy and distributed computing in a novel way and proposes a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. In contrast to euros, dollars and Swiss francs, digital algorithms create cryptocurrencies, not a central bank. All transactions are stored on a blockchain, which is essentially a digital ledger that everyone can see. On the Bitcoin blockchain, miners create a new block every ten minutes, which contains a certain number of transactions and is linked to the previous block. These blocks form an unbreakable chain – hence the name “blockchain”.
Cryptocurrencies allow people to transact with each other cost-effectively, regardless of their location or financial situation. Blockchain technology promises many other applications, such as digital identities, security in supply chains or digital voting. And Zug plays a pivotal role in this.
Interviews
People from the Crypto Valley speak about their experiences from the early days to today and where the journey is going.
2013
The idea of Crypto Valley emerges, first Bitcoin entrepreneurs come to Zug, the canton of Zug creates together with them the right framework conditions for Crypto Valley to take off.
2014
Ethereum comes to Zug and revolutionizes the crypto world. How did the founders decide to set up shop in Zug? What was necessary for it to work? How did the foundation become the go-to legal standard for blockchain projects?
2016
The city of Zug accepts payments in bitcoin for its services as the first municipality in the world. How did the city make this decision? What does it mean today for the economic development of the city and the canton?
2017
Crypto Valley gets organized and becomes visible. The Crypto Valley Association gets founded, the CV Summit and the Crypto Valley Conference take place, the Swiss Blockchain Federation gets into gear. HSLU offers blockchain education.
2023
Swiss banks offer crypto financial services to their clients. Skeptical in the beginning, the jump on the bandwagon. Crypto and the established financial sector inch closer together, and much room for improvement still remains.
What's Next for Crypto Valley?
The story of cryptoassets and blockchain technology is still being written, because in addition to Crypto Valley, there are now other locations such as Dubai or Singapore that are attractive for crypto entrepreneurs. Crypto Valley must continue to develop and reinvent itself, but that shouldn't be a problem for Zug.