The Crown Prince of Liechtenstein Wants to Invest in Crypto

The Crown Prince of Liechtenstein says his family might invest in cryptocurrencies and that he sees a future for the blockchain.

AccessTimeIconMar 16, 2018 at 12:50 a.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 8:30 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

There may be a literal "crypto-king" one day in the not-so-distant future. The Crown Prince of Liechtenstein said last Friday that his family is considering investing some of their $5 billion fortune in cryptocurrencies.

Crown Prince Alois Philipp Maria told CNBC that investing in cryptocurrencies can help bolster the royal family's fortune, which, though it is sizeable now, was much reduced after World War II.

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • "Particularly this whole new digital economy, it is something to look into more into the future," he said.

    Despite this interest, the Crown Prince went on to say that his family currently lacks "the internal expertise" to invest directly in crypto, and that he was unsure about the future of cryptocurrencies in general, explaining:

    "I think we would rather do that or are currently doing that through our general exposure via private equity, venture capital funds where we are investing. Where cryptocurrency will move to, I think that's very open still. So I think one has to really see that it's a very risky asset class."

    As for blockchain, Alois is more bullish.

    "I think particularly the whole blockchain technology is very interesting ... blockchain will change a lot of areas, a lot of businesses in the future."

    He also suggested that his government could potentially utilize the technology, saying that "I think the attractive elements of blockchain technology could be used to make the state more efficient in the way it's administered."

    The royal family is not the only party in Liechtenstein, a small country situated between Austria and Switzerland best known for its low corporate tax rates, to be interested in cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

    Bank Frick, a family-run institution located in the town of Balzers, announced in early March that it now allows clients to invest directly in cryptocurrencies including bitcoin, bitcoin cash, litecoin, XRP and ether. The bank's announcement cited demand from companies across Europe as the impetus for its decision.

    Liechtenstein flag image via Shutterstock

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.



    Read more about