It all begins here at Aabachstrasse in 2013 with the serendipitous concurrence of several events.
Johann Gevers, a Canadian technology entrepreneur, is looking for a secure jurisdiction for his Bitcoin company Monetas since 2013. Bitcoin is still relatively unknown at the time and is mostly associated with the darknet and money laundering. Governments want nothing to do with it. In the absence of clear case law, the first crypto entrepreneurs are operating in a gray zone.
Zug has long been an excellent place to do business, thanks to low taxes and the open attitude of the authorities. Zug’s cantonal and city governments are looking for ways to bring more technology companies to the canton. When Johann Gevers presents his vision to the authorities in 2013, he finds he preaches to the choir.
At the same time, other crypto entrepreneurs have the same idea. Together with Zug’s government, they lay the foundation for Crypto Valley and pave the way for the global success story of cryptoassets and blockchain technology. Without Crypto Valley, cryptoassets as we know them today would probably not exist. Isn't it amazing what a few bright minds and a whole lot of courage can achieve?
Now check out how Johann Gevers himself and Bernhard Neidhart, the head of the Office for Economic Affairs and Labor in the Canton of Zug, report how everything began.
