Zurich, June 19, 2020 – IBM and Verum Capital, a Swiss-based blockchain advisory boutique, are collaborating to help businesses accelerate their use of digital assets, by scaling and securing blockchain solutions.
The rise of the digital economy
According to Research and Markets, the global digital asset management market is growing at 16.5 percent to reach $8.5 billion by 2025. In Switzerland, two banks are now fully licensed to offer blockchain-based financial instruments and traditional banks are increasingly offering crypto services. In the DACH region, more than 50 banks have applied for a license to offer similar services.
More and more, leading financial institutions are bringing traditional investment products onto the blockchain. This shift toward decentralized finance is important for the future of the digital economy. By offering blockchain-based financial products, financial institutions can grow business through inclusion. At the individual level, blockchain-based services can support the unbanked but also the micro-investor who can gain access to a rate of return typically reserved for institutional investors with large sums of money. At the organizational level, financial products that are built using the blockchain become affordable and flexible enough to serve the SME segment. Now small businesses too can benefit from bond issuance on the blockchain, for example.
Digitizing assets
Traditional company shares, bonds, loans or non-traditional and non-bankable assets such as artwork, real estate, private securities, and even gold - can be digitized, tokenized, and traded on a variety of platforms. An advantage of tokenizing physical assets is that fractional ownership schemes can be created; underlying assets can then be offered to a larger number of buyers, who benefit from increased liquidity on the secondary market. Tokenization allows the digital economy to become much more efficient, transparent, and liquid, as well as a more inclusive marketplace overall.
Key success factors
Storing and trading digital assets securely using the blockchain is an essential step toward unleashing the transformative potential of the digital economy. There are two key success factors for the widespread adoption of digital assets. The first is hypercritical availability and scalability and the second is simultaneous industry-leading security.
Until now, this trade-off has presented a significant obstacle. Users had to choose between availability and security when handling their digital assets. IBM is solving this trade-off for financial services providers through its recently launched Hyper Protect Digital Assets Platform, which was designed based on over 40 years of experience and making pioneering contributions to the field of cryptography.
Verum Capital and IBM – strong synergies
IBM’s Digital Asset Platform is the basis for its collaboration with Verum Capital. Together, IBM and Verum Capital can offer clients highly secure and scalable digital asset infrastructure solutions, as well as the essential advisory services that will enable them to develop new business opportunities that take advantage of the blockchain.
As the leading blockchain advisory based in Switzerland, Verum Capital is joining IBM’s unique ecosystem to ensure that their institutional-grade digital asset services can be used to their full potential in the financial services sector.
Based on our experience working on strategic blockchain projects within the financial sector, we know how incredibly valuable it is for clients to have the choice to deploy a solution on-premises, as part of a private cloud environment, or as a service that allows digital asset and blockchain firms to scale alongside growing demand.
The essential infrastructure that IBM continues to develop is a very valuable building block for Verum Capital’s team of blockchain consultants. According to Verum Capital Co-Founder and Board Member Jonathan LLamas: “When we advise our clients, develop pilot projects, and manage full-scale implementations of blockchain technology, we choose to work with IBM’s infrastructure and products because businesses are very comfortable relying on IBM.”
It is time to take advantage of Blockchain
Are you interested in learning more about how your organization could leverage IBM’s cutting-edge infrastructure and create new, innovative opportunities for your business?
The team at Verum Capital is here to help. We believe in a sensible and stepwise approach to digital transformation and would love the opportunity to discuss your challenges. Contact us today and let us make the blockchain work for you.
– By Jonathan LLamas, Verum Capital AG
About Jonathan LLamas
Jonathan LLamas is the Co-Founder and Head of Business Development at Verum Capital AG. He is an industry expert and guest lecturer at the MBA of the University of St. Gallen (HSG) for FinTech and blockchain.
About Verum Capital
Verum Capital AG is a leading blockchain advisory boutique based in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 2018, the company has managed landmark strategic projects that use blockchain to bring tangible benefits to organizations and create valuable new business opportunities. The firm focuses on enabling the immediate benefits of distributed ledger technology, through automation and optimization, while helping clients to position themselves as industry-wide leaders in the long term. They are experienced with digital strategy development, digitalization and tokenization of assets, token generation events, financial products, due diligence, as well as project management and implementation.