WISeKey and the Blockchain Research Institute sign agreement to create interconnected Blockchain Centers of Excellence around the world The agreement was announced by Don Tapscott and Carlos Moreira at the Geneva Annual Blockchain Congress Geneva, January 19, 2019 -  WISeKey International Holding Ltd (" WISeKey ") (SIX: WIHN), a leading global cybersecurity, Blockchain and IoT company,   announced today the signing of a partnership with the Blockchain Research Institute (BRI) for the creation of a number of interconnected Blockchain Centers of Excellence around the world. In addition to the Blockchain Centers of Excellence already being established by WISeKey in India, Mauritius and Rwanda, the agreement foresees the creation of additional centers, starting with two new centers in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Geneva, Switzerland.

The spirit of this initiative is to promote the use of blockchain technologies internationally, facilitate the rapid adaptation and on-boarding of blockchain-based solutions, foster stronger collaboration between the public, private and academic sectors and cooperate to ensure that the latest technological standards are made available in a safe and trusted manner. The Blockchain Centers of Excellence will also be instrumental in prototyping, the co-creation of use cases and IP creation on blockchain technology and platforms. They will also become a channel to engage companies and governments globally in the work of BRI, as well as a distribution channel for BRI's research. 

The Blockchain Centers of Excellence will operate as a coordinated, interoperable blockchain ecosystem around the world, allowing all partners to fully benefit from shared learnings, experiences and resources. Each Blockchain Center of Excellence is expected to develop a particular expertise that can be shared among all centers. For example, the Blockchain Center of Excellence in Buenos Aires will spearhead the development of particular platforms and applications to fight counterfeiting, illicit trade and corruption, while the Geneva Blockchain Center of Excellence will focus on Fintech, particularly digital private banking and commodity trading applications.

Carlos Moreira, WISeKey's CEO & Founder, noted: "The creation of Blockchain Centers of Excellence represents an important step to overcome the tremendous trust deficiency we currently live with and represents an unprecedented effort in fostering stronger collaboration between the public, private and academic sectors for the adoption of latest technological blockchain standards in a safe and trusted manner."

Don Tapscott, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute, noted: "Blockchain represents the second era of the Internet - from an Internet of Information to an Internet of Value.  We at the BRI are delighted that the Blockchain Centers of Excellence initiative will help the world get access to and take advantage of our work."

Click here to read Carlos Moreira's interview with AGEFI .

About WISeKey

WISeKey (SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems for people and objects using Blockchain, AI and IoT respecting the Human as the Fulcrum of the Internet. WISeKey Microprocessors Secures the pervasive computing shaping today's Internet of Everything. WISeKey IoT has an install base of over 1.5 billion microchips in virtually all IoT sectors (connected cars, smart cities, drones, agricultural sensors, anti-counterfeiting, smart lighting, servers, computers, mobile phones, crypto tokens etc.).  WISeKey is uniquely positioned to be at the edge of IoT as our semiconductors produce a huge amount of Big Data that, when analyzed with Artificial Intelligence (AI), can help industrial applications to predict the failure of their equipment before it happens.

Our technology is Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey's Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust ("RoT") provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visit  www.wisekey.com  and www.wisecoin.com .

ABOUT The Blockchain Research Institute

The Blockchain Research Institute (BRI) is a division of The Tapscott Group Inc. It is an independent, global think-tank, co-founded by Don and his son Alex Tapscott.  The Tapscott's are the authors of Blockchain Revolution - the number one global best seller about blockchain.  BRI brings together the world's top global researchers to undertake ground-breaking research on blockchain technology. Funded by a membership consisting of international corporations and government agencies, BRI's multi-million-dollar research program features over 100 projects exploring the strategic implications of blockchain on business, government and society. From market opportunities to best practices and implementation challenges, BRI is dedicated to inspire and prepare private- and public-sector leaders to be the catalysts of the blockchain transformation.  https://www.blockchainresearchinstitute.org/

Press and investor contacts

WISeKey Company Contact: Carlos Moreira Chairman & CEO Tel: +41 22 594 3000 info@wisekey.com WISeKey Investor Relations (US) Contact: Lena Cati The Equity Group Inc. Tel: +1 212 836-9611 lcati@equityny.com Blockchain Research Institute Company Contact: Don Tapscott Founder and Executive Chairman info@tapscott.com BRI Media Contact: Luke Bradley Director of Communications Tel: +1 647 228-3686 luke@tapscott.com

Disclaimer:

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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