CVA Welcomes the 2026 Board of Directors
CVA Welcomes the 2026 Board of Directors
2 July 2026, Zug Switzerland
The Crypto Valley Association (CVA) is proud to introduce its 2026 Board of Directors, elected during the Annual General Assembly held on June 30th.
The AGA brought members up to speed on a strong year: two flagship conferences delivering over 1,250+ combined attendees, the launch of the CVA Benefits Portal, sustained regulatory engagement with FINMA, SIF and FATF, and the build-out of Made in Crypto Valley, CVA's first real startup investment initiative, launching this fall.
The board also presented a solid financial position and and core operations.
Welcoming two new board members
This year's election brings fresh expertise to the table. Members elected the following eight directors to lead CVA through 2026 and beyond:
● Jérôme Bailly
● Emi Lorincz
● Ilya Volkov
● Maxim Kon
● Marcel Harmann
● Benedek Orban
● Paolo Bortolin — newly elected
● Sheraz Ahmed — newly elected
Paolo and Sheraz bring further regional diversity to the CVA Board, with their respective base in Lugano and Montreux.
A heartfelt thank you
After years of dedicated service to the Crypto Valley Association, Ekaterina Anthony is stepping down from her role.
Through her leadership of the AML & Compliance Working Group and her active involvement in CVA’s regulatory dialogue with FINMA and SIF, Ekaterina has made a lasting contribution to the association and the broader ecosystem.
On behalf of the entire CVA community, thank you for your commitment, expertise, and leadership. We wish you all the best for the future.
What's next: 2026/2027 focus
With a strong financial and operational base built over the past five years, CVA is entering an acceleration phase. The focus for the next two to three years centers on six priorities:
- Driving institutional adoption by strengthening the bridge between crypto-native companies and Switzerland's finance sector;
- Ensuring Switzerland's competitive edge through active regulatory engagement;
- Increasing CVA's global footprint via collaboration with regional crypto hubs;
- Future-proofing operations through AI-driven automation;
- Increasing content output through research and thought leadership; and
- Celebrating ten years of CVA with a series of events throughout 2027.
Made in Crypto Valley
A major milestone in this acceleration journey is Made in Crypto Valley, CVA's new Startup Investment Initiative. Through it, the Crypto Valley ecosystem makes direct investments in the next generation of Crypto Valley talent and early-stage ventures, under one core value: invested in Crypto Valley, by Crypto Valley.
Eligible startups are at pre-seed or seed stage, with up to CHF 1.5M raised and a valuation cap of CHF 10M, using blockchain technology in their stack. Sectors span fintech, biotech, medtech, AI/data, supply chain and robotics. Applications close September 15th, 2026, with Finals Day on November 11th in Zurich, where ten startups will pitch live for a direct investment decision.
Learn more: https://www.madeincryptovalley.ch
The team delivering CVA's strategic initiatives
Alongside the board, CVA's executive team is responsible for making these strategic initiatives into reality.
● Niki Csanyi - Executive Director
● Saskia Verbeek - Membership Liaison
● Luis Moncosi - Program Manager
● Giovanni Zaccaria - Social Media Manager
We're hiring
CVA is growing its team and looking for a Strategic Account Manager to join the executive group. If you or someone in your network is interested in helping shape the next phase of Crypto Valley's growth, applications are open, apply directly or pass it along to someone who'd be a great fit.
We're excited for the year ahead and confident that CVA is in strong, capable hands.
Please join us in welcoming the 2026 CVA Board of Directors!