PROJECT TYPE: Place Branding / Innovation Hub Naming
CLIENT: Regional stakeholders in Zug, Switzerland
DELIVERABLE: Strategic naming + positioning rationale for a blockchain innovation zone
1. Client Brief
Zug, Switzerland has become a global hub for blockchain and crypto innovation. The area is home to numerous leading Web3 foundations, DAOs, and fintech pioneers. The goal was to coin a name that could define the territory not only geographically, but also culturally and economically — a name with symbolic power that could attract founders, investors, and attention from around the world. It needed to suggest technological gravity, innovation, and trust, while being simple, brandable, and future-proof.
2. Discovery & Positioning
Key insights extracted:
– Category: Innovation district, tech ecosystem, blockchain cluster
– Tone: Future-forward, credible, simple, movement-worthy
– Keywords: Crypto, blockchain, valley, network, capital, lab, trust, ledger
– Market: Global (startups, DAOs, regulators, investors)
– Reference Benchmark: Silicon Valley, AI Nation, The Sandbox, BioBasin
Core positioning challenge: coin a name that represents a decentralized, world-class innovation zone — without sounding gimmicky or dated.
3. Naming Strategy
Approach:
✔ Inspired by geographic and symbolic naming archetypes (“valley,” “district,” “zone”)
✔ Short, intuitive, and sticky
✔ Built for scalability: local identity + global resonance
Naming Criteria:
– Clarity and cultural symbolism
– Linguistic fluency and memorability
– Digital availability and hashtag-friendliness
– Expandable for events, funds, DAOs, or spaces
4. Shortlist Presentation
| Name Candidate | Rationale |
| Crypto Valley | Simple, metaphorical, and geographic. Echoes “Silicon Valley” while making crypto the central identity. Easy to remember, media-ready, and already semi-organically adopted. |
| Ledger Zone | Metaphorically rooted in the blockchain’s core — the ledger. Sounds structured and credible. Too technical for broad appeal. |
| ZugChain | Blends location and blockchain. Technically accurate, but lacks aspirational tone and metaphor. Too literal. |
5. Digital Checks
Crypto Valley:
– Domain: cryptovalley.com (already registered but in ecosystem use)
– Social: @cryptovalley still in my ownership, ready for transfer
– Trademark: Some existing use, but not locked down globally
– Common usage: Already organically adopted in some Web3 circles
Conclusion: “Crypto Valley” had pre-existing momentum, making it ideal to formalize and position strategically.
6. Final Recommendation
Chosen Name: Crypto Valley
Why It Works:
– Strong metaphor linking blockchain to a known innovation archetype (Silicon Valley)
– Combines place and purpose
– Intuitive, sticky, and adaptable for media, tourism, economic policy, and branding
– Already seeded in organic usage
– Flexible for spin-offs: Crypto Valley Association, Crypto Valley Labs, Crypto Valley Summit, Crypto Valley Foundation
7. Brand Voice Starter Guide
Tagline ideas:
– “The World’s Blockchain Capital”
– “Where Decentralization Finds a Home”
– “Build the Future in Crypto Valley”
Moodwords: Decentralized. Visionary. Foundational. Networked. Swiss-grade.
Process Recap
Here’s how the naming project unfolded:
1. Brief – Strategic vision from local stakeholders
2. Discovery – Ecosystem analysis, semantic scan, cultural positioning
3. Naming – Shortlisting with strategic rationale
4. Validation – Digital and trademark scan
5. Delivery – Final name with narrative support
6. Bonus – Taglines and voice guide
