Cryptovalley, the region in Switzerland that is the new center of the crypto-hurricane, was not born out of thin air. It was the result of work and dedication of a group of people who saw that cryptocurrencies are the next big thing and wanted to create a friendly environment for organizations to establish here and launch ICOs, or Token Generation Events (TGEs) as they call it here.
This all started when Ethereum decided to incorporate its foundation here and, since then, this protection became institutionalized into laws and associations. So, here are 6 organizations you should meet when coming to Zurich or Cryptovalley:
A) CryptoValley Association (CVA): This association was created to give people and startups coming here a soft landing and connect them with the main service providers. To become a member of the association, one should pay 100 Swiss Francs, which is not an impossible amount. Among the benefits you are able to put their logos in your materials (which adds some value to your reputation) and you get a local to be your official point of contact. The CVA was my first contact with this ecosystem and they helped us a lot.
B) Lakeside Partners and CryptoValley Labs: Lakeside Partners are a group of investors from Zurich and Zug that invest and support Pre-ICOs. They also the proponents of an innovative environment for blockchain companies called CryptoValley Labs. They will offer office space for established projects, virtual address and co-working space for the visiting traveler. Here is a picture of me and Patrick, when I visited the first Cryptovalley labs:
C) Smart Valor: The SmartValor team were the organizers of ICO Summit an awesome event that happened on September 15th 2017 and brought entrepreneurs and investors from all over the world to Zurich to talk about ICOs. We were participants and Silver Sponsors of the event and it added a lot of value to us in brand exposure and connections to prospective investors and other teams doing ICOs.
D) Bitcoin Suisse: The founders of Bitcoin Suisse noticed an important need in the value chain of doing an ICO, that is to do proper KYC/AML procedures with the prospective investors and also in the liquidation of the cryptoassets afterwards. If you are doing an ICO, they are a must talk to!
E) MME: MME is the premier law firm in Zug / Switzerland which was one of the proponent organization for the creation of the friendly regulation which makes Cryptovalley a great place for startups. Swapy Network is their clients and they added a lot of value to us by helping with the incorporation of our company in the region and choosing the best legal strategy. You are luck if you can work with them. Everyone says they are in high demand right now and that they very selective.
F) Blockhaus: Blockhaus is a consulting firm formed to help high potential projects in the strategy and distribution of the tokens in their ICOs. We loved talking with one of their founders, who is an early Bitcoin enthusiast and left a big bank with a solid career because he thinks that the blockchain technology can change the world, and he wants to be part of it.