Zug, Switzerland

July 24, 2015

I’m sitting here on a park bench with my friend and colleague Johann Gevers overlooking an absolutely serene lake in Zug, Switzerland.

With the elegant and imposing mountains behind, it’s as quintessentially Swiss as you can get.

Johann is the founder of Monetas, an advanced digital transaction platform that could dramatically change the way people do business around the world

Monetas is a ‘cryptofinance’ company-- part of the new generation of technology firms that has set its sights on revolutionizing finance.

This goes way beyond Bitcoin.

The world of finance as we know it is highly centralized. Anytime you buy a Starbucks coffee or pay your electric bill, the funds pass through a heavily congested financial highway that is exclusively controlled by the banks.

All the money is funneled through their system. It’s expensive. Inefficient. And incredibly outdated.

Think about an international wire transfer—the funds flow from one bank, to a larger bank, to an even larger bank (typically in New York), and back down to smaller banks on the receiving end.

And everyone takes a fee along the way.

This is ridiculous in 2015. The technology already exists to eliminate all of the middle men and allow transactions to pass directly between a buyer and seller.

These companies are game changers. And in Johann’s case, he deliberately selected this picturesque valley in Switzerland as the place to base his company.

In Johann’s assessment, Switzerland still presents the most stable, credible, freest place in the world to run a business, especially something that could really disrupt finance.

And he’s working hard to bring even more cryptofinance companies here to Zug—a vision he calls “Crypto Valley”.

If you listen to his story, it really makes sense. Economic freedom. Low taxes. Friendly, cooperative government.

And the lifestyle really is incredibly idyllic.

I invite you to join Johann and I today as we discuss some of the unique and inviting features of Switzerland... and the future of finance.