In January, St. Moritz will host a conference for the global Blockchain community. Decision-makers from Finma, SNB and the SEC will meet up with crypto-stars, said host Nicolo Stoehr in an interview with finews.com.
In its first year, the Crypto Finance Conference (CFC) in St. Moritz was a spontaneous happening that was surfing on the Bitcoin-wave, organized by a crew of Swiss crypto-fans. Now, the structures are more professional.
Swiss crypto-fans yes, spontaneous event no. St. Moritz was a huge success and all participants thought that the crypto- and ICO-business would go through the roof.
It didn’t…
Yes. When I took charge with my brother in March 2018, the market collapsed. The following CFC in San Francisco showed that the concept with Blockchain presentations and ICO didn’t work as it did in St. Moritz.
«We support the networking between industry experts and investors»
For the second conference in January 2019 in St. Moritz I decided to focus on content instead of presentations of companies and products. The participants loved it, despite the fact that the conference took place in what came to be known as Crypto Winter.
What’s your focus for the upcoming conference?
Together with international experts, we want to bring on stage know-how and developments that will help potential and existing investors make their decisions. We also want to support the networking of industry experts and investors. And finally, we want to make participants feel good and have a great time.
The development within the crypto- and Blockchain-industry is steep – is it ripe for a wider investor community?
Yes and no. Some developments would suggest as much, for instance in China. There, Blockchain technology has been fully adapted and the work on a Chinese crypto-currency is ongoing. Companies such as Fidelity, IBM and other major firms are now moving into the business.
What are the main topics for CFC 2020?
We will have macro-issues such as regulation, with experts from Europe, the U.S. and Asia holding speeches. Thomas Moser from the Swiss National Bank will talk about central banks and stablecoins.
«The potential in Africa is enormous»
The micro-issues include aspects of venture investing, asset management and decentralized finance. The Crypto Nation Switzerland will see a panel of banking experts with Stephan Zwahlen (Maerki Baumann), Niklas Nikolajsen (Bitcoin Suisse) and other representatives.
On the final day, we will have a focus on Africa, a crypto- and Blockchain-market that investors need to know about for the future. The potential is enormous.
Ignazio Cassis, the Swiss foreign minister, Carlo Rossotto from the World Bank, and Guenter Nooke, the delegate for Africa at the German government, are speaking.
Three years ago, crypto-entrepreneurs spoke to billionaires about their ICOs. Today, representatives of Finma, central bankers and development aid workers share a stage. Is this what you mean with a learning curve?
CFC is an investor conference. It is important to get decision-makers from the eco-system to the conference together with crypto-players to give an encompassing impression of the industry.
Who are your star guests?
Foreign Minister Cassis, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the people behind the Gemini exchange, Hester Pierce, one of the five SEC commissioners, Young Sohn, corporate president of Samsung and a few more whom I can’t yet name.
Nicolo Stoehr is CEO of Crypto Finance Conference (CFC), which will take place January 15 to 17 in St. Moritz. It is the third edition of the conference. Stoehr hails from St. Moritz and studied at University of St. Gallen. finews.ch will be there to report.
