Blockchain technology, the Internet of Things melding with the Internet of Money, the convergence of Cryptography, Computer Science and Economics – all of these technologies are enablers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which many believe is upon us.
Dear Reader,
If you’re reading this letter, then you will probably agree that these are some interesting times we are living in right now. Sometimes you are in the middle of something really transformative, but you are living the micro, incapable of perceiving the macro, the forest from the trees, so to speak.
Blockchain technology, the Internet of Things melding with the Internet of Money, the convergence of Cryptography, Computer Science and Economics – all of these technologies are enablers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which many believe is upon us.
When the world was going crazy over crypto at the end of 2017, I wasn’t interested because of the price of Bitcoin, instead I was perplexed by the public’s fascination … it made me wonder… why is Bitcoin commanding so much attention all? Have technologists finally figured out how to transfer value over space and time? Can Bitcoin become a global store of value?
And then it dawned on me…. digital money is right on humanity’s doorstep, just like electric cars and 3D printing. We are undergoing an economic transformation of epic proportions, we just don’t notice the incremental changes happening around us every day.
Saifedean Ammous brilliantly and simply summed up Bitcoin’s value proposition when he said “Bitcoin is the newest technology to perform the function of money.”
One of the characteristics of money is how ‘Hard’ it is. Money is Hard when it is costly to produce more of it. Historically, humanity has experienced three long cycles of Hard money, each cycle enabling significant progress, wealth and cultural enrichment.
A second characteristic of money is how easily exchanged it is. It needs to hold its value across time and space, in other words, it needs to be transportable and easily divisible. This characteristic is referred to as being ‘Sound’.
Bitcoin, now 10 years running, has established a track record for being both Hard and Sound. I believe it’s only a matter of time before the transition to digital currency starts to gain real momentum. Are we at the beginning of a fourth ‘Hard’ monetary cycle? I feel we are, and I’m excited because 2017 proved that the world is ready. But these changes don’t happen overnight. It’s likely going to take years for the good money to chase out the bad.
At SEBA, we want to build a gateway that facilitates movement of assets between the crypto and traditional financial markets, to pave the way for the new economy. Our ambition is to become one of the world’s first universal, fully licensed and supervised crypto banks, offering industry leading crypto-asset financial products and services.
There are many players globally who are trying to build this bridge between the new economy and the old, but we believe there’s only one way to do it properly and that is with regulatory supervision. We have applied to FINMA, the Swiss financial market supervisory authority, for the most comprehensive banking license attainable, and once we pass their stringent checks, we will become a regulated part of Switzerland’s stable banking system. Even though this route is longer and more expensive, we believe a regulated entity is the only option to allow institutional money to flow freely into the new economy.
And there’s one other thing – People are hungry for a new type of banking experience. When I pulled the SEBA team together in early February, I had in mind a new type of bank. A bank that promotes the core values of Safety, Transparency and Performance. Clients will have the opportunity to experience these values digitally and physically – our vision for SEBA is click & mortar.
Please join us on this exciting journey. Our aim is to promote the mainstream adoption of Blockchain and crypto by helping people understand the potential it holds to ignite global economic reform and financial inclusion. Download The SEBA Vision to learn in detail about our plans and our ambitious roadmap.
Sincerely,
Guido Bühler
Chief Executive Officer
