In a fireside chat, Alexander Brunner of Home of Blockchain.swiss and Prof. Claudio Tessone of the UZH Blockchain Center sit down together to explore the shifting landscape of blockchain and cryptocurrency in Switzerland in the face of the European Union's new Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCAR) directive. This discussion comes at a crucial time as Switzerland's Crypto Valley celebrates a decade of significant achievements. The conversation will address pressing questions about Switzerland's future as a blockchain leader. They'll delve into whether the EU's regulatory moves, highlighted by MiCAR, signal a competitive threat or a new realm of opportunities for Switzerland. Key points include MiCAR's potential as a regulatory framework, its gaps, and its impact on Switzerland as a major blockchain innovator. Will Switzerland be able to maintain its edge in the blockchain arena amidst Europe's tightening grip on crypto regulation?

Switzerland typically does not have a government-led industrial policy that favors specific industries. This is in contrast to other countries from the US to the UK and from Saudi Arabia to China who are strongly supporting and funding specific industries such as solar, battery technology or AI. Here are some recent examples:

• New UK GPB 100m fund for AI
• Saudi Arabia announced a USD 40bn push into AI
• The US with its Inflation Reduction Act IRA will hand out billions in subsidies to chip makers, AI companies and other high tech industries

At the same time the EU is pushing for new regulation from the EU AI Act to the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulations act that will have a big impact on the Swiss ecosystem.