12 noteworthy founders of blockchain and cryptocurrency startups in Switzerland you have to follow closely.
Switzerland has emerged as a leading blockchain and cryptocurrency hub in recent years, thanks to supportive regulations and efforts from the government to make the country a pioneer in fintech.
According to Oliver Bussmann, president of the Crypto Valley Association, the Swiss blockchain startup ecosystem has more than 430 startups with labs, incubators and accelerators, among these very successful projects and startups like Ethereum, Lykke and Bancor.
The following 12 personalities are blockchain and crypto startup founders who are shaping the future of the industry out of Switzerland:
Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder at Ethereum
Vitalik Buterin is a co-founder and inventor of Ethereum, described as a “decentralized mining network and software development platform rolled into one” that facilitates the creation of new cryptocurrencies and programs that share a single blockchain. Ethereum, undeniably one of the most successful blockchain projects to date, is developed by a worldwide team of developers for the Ethereum Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization. Buterin is also the co-founder of Bitcoin Magazine, one of the oldest and most established source of news, information and expert commentary on the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry.
Erik Voorhees, Founder and CEO at ShapeShift
Erik Voorhees is the founder and CEO of ShapeShift, an instant cryptocurrency exchange platform which he founded and operated under the alias Beorn Gonthier, until revealing his true involvement with the company as part of a seed funding announcement in March 2015. Voorhees is the co-founder of the Coinapult, worked as director of marketing at BitInstant, and was founder and partial owner of the bitcoin gambling website Satoshi Dice (subsequently sold in July 2013 to an undisclosed buyer). He has been a Member of Cryptocurrency Advisory Board at MGT Capital Investments, Inc. since June 14, 2016.
Niklas Nikolajsen, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Co-CEO at Bitcoin Suisse
Niklas Nikolajsen founded Bitcoin Suisse, a world leading crypto-financial broker and service provider, in mid-2013. Today, he serves as chairman of the board and co-CEO of the company. Before Bitcoin Suisse, Niklas had a background of more than 15 years as a professional software architect and software developer, primarily in the financial, manufacturing and public sectors. He also co-founded the Digital Finance Compliance Association in 2014 and joined its board, promoted the Zug-based Crypto Valley concept, and worked towards a friendly Swiss regulatory framework for digital finance with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, he was named a top 100 influential Swiss banker by the Swiss financial times BILANZ.
