Finance 2.0

On June 25, Kaufleuten located in the heart of downtown Zurich, will open its doors for the fifth edition of Finance 2.0 - Crypto Assets. This platform brings together the traditional financial world and the emerging digital asset industry to unlock the full potential of this asset class.

A highlight of the event will be the second edition of the Swiss Crypto Awards. Launched a year ago, the awards aim to build trust and give recognition to players from both the traditional financial world and the digital asset world. For the ecosystem to work, it needs everyone: startups, traditional service providers and new crypto firms. As in banking, trust plays a critical role.

The conference promises to be an intense program: More than 20 leaders from both traditional and crypto finance will share their expertise.Not only C-level executives from established companies such as Andrej Majcen of Bitcoin Suisse and Jan Brzezek, founder of Crypto Finance AG, will be present, but also prominent representatives from the banking world such as Jan de Schepper of Swissquote Bank and Mark Dambacher of Incore Bank.

The hot topics at a glance

One of the key topics will be the European crypto regulation MiCA, which comes into force on December 30, 2024. The impact of this regulation on crypto asset service providers will be profound, even for Switzerland. However, the extent of these changes is not yet fully recognized domestically. Finance 2.0 provides a platform to discuss these pressing issues and develop possible strategies.

The global financial world is facing numerous challenges: rising interest rates, geopolitical conflicts, a weak economy and record debt levels in leading nations. Themed "Rethinking Finance: Bitcoin as a Pillar in a Fragile Financial System," renowned economists will examine the current situation and present innovative solutions.

The Swiss crypto journey

Switzerland was an early pioneer in the field of crypto and blockchain-based applications. Bitcoin Suisse was launched in 2013, Swissquote became the first European bank to offer crypto services in 2017, and Crypto Finance offered a wide range of services related to digital assets that same year. Today, Crypto Finance is part of Deutsche Börse. How did the founders of these companies overcome challenges and what do they expect in the future? These questions are answered by the pioneers themselves.

Although there are around 230 banks in Switzerland, only about a dozen offer crypto services. Leading the way are private bank Maerki Baumann and, as of this year, PostFinance, Switzerland's largest retail bank, and Luzerner Kantonalbank (LUKB). The heads of these banks will explain their strategies and provide an outlook on future developments.

An event not to be missed

These and many other topics will be discussed at Finance 2.0. The event offers not only in-depth insights, but also opportunities for networking and inspiration. CVJ.CH readers can get a 50% discount on tickets with the code 24CryptoAssets50. You can register here.