“Maybe it’s still too early. But so far Bitcoin continues to be the only really meaningful and broad-used application of blockchain technology.”
Image rights at Marc P. Bernegger, provided for this post.
Marc P. Bernegger is somehow early everywhere and in the middle of it. We talked to the crypto pioneer about why he stays back on Bitcoin and sees the next big trend in the life extension (Longevity) industry.
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Marc P. Bernegger is a Bitcoin veteran in Switzerland. He joined the scene in 2012, operates an office in Zug next to the Ethereum Foundation, has built up the Crypto Finance Group, is known to Mark Zuckerberg and Vitalik Buterin and was not uninvolved in the success of the Crypto Punks. Today he is somewhat sobered by “crypto” and invests with maximum in Longevity startups-and is therefore under crypto pioneers in the best company.
Hello Marc! I am glad that you give me an interview. I start with a standard question, which is always exciting: how did you get Bitcoin and crypto?
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That was a little like with the internet. In the 90s I had the idea of doing something with the Internet that many found strangely, but then bought it in the end. At some point I dealt with how to send values over the Internet. I came across Satoshis Whitepaper in 2012 and was immediately fascinated. Almost nobody knew Bitcoin from my area, the community was still very small at the time. I found the raw concept exciting to Bitcoin, but had no idea what would become of it.
As a result, you started some interesting projects, even beyond Bitcoin, such as a crypto fund.
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I have always fascinated various aspects of Bitcoin and crypto. The idea of the Crypto Finance Group was created at the beginning of 2017, which was the first fully regulated player in the area in Europe. The fund was only part of it, it also belonged to the brokerage and trust for established players. In 2021 the Crypto Finance Group was bought by the German Stock Exchange.
Today, on the other hand, you are investing in another industry, Longevity or durability. Bitcoin and crypto have started to get bored?
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No, even after 11 years in Bitcoin I am fascinated. But I find it exciting when a topic is still at the beginning and you pioneers kick. When it becomes a mainstream and the consultants and lawyers flow in, topics for me lose the attraction of the new one and I start to look around for something else. After selling the Crypto Finance Group, it was a good moment to do something new. Longevity offered itself. I have always fascinated how you can extend people’s lifespan through medical progress. In 1999 I got on the Internet, in 2012 in Bitcoin, now in Longevity.
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You are not the only early adopter who is interested in Longevity. For example Vitalik Buterin, Richard Heart or Brian Armstrong. Is that a natural career? First you build up a fortune through crypto, then you want to enjoy it for a long time?
Good question. Vitalik Buterin is a good example. We already had him at an event in 2017 and he organized a meeting of crypto and longevity enthusiasts in Montenegro in Montenegro. Certainly, many when they have achieved financial independence so that they can enjoy it longer. It is more relevant, however, that these people have recognized the potential in blockchain because it is their nature to smell exciting topics. You believe that Longevity can be the next topic, but is still far from becoming a mainstream. A less good example is Richard Heart, I think.
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Richard Heart is currently being followed by an arrest warrant in the United States because his tokens are considered fraud. With the PulsChain, however, he supported a lunevity project ..
Exactly. Some of the revenues from the PulsCeIAIN ICO went to the Sens Foundation, which supports research in the area. We work with them and also warned them. Now it falls back on her. There is already a class action lawsuit against Richard Heart, and the Sens Foundation will probably have to pay back this donation.
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When you speak of Longevity, this is not just a different name for “health”, but it is attractive for investors?
I wouldn’t say that. It is similar to that when you say that blockchain is just a database. Longevity allows you to live better, longer and healthier. It continues than just improving health. One of the startups that we founded and financed with maximum sells supplements that have been shown to rejuvenate the cells. We not only want to slow the aging, we want to stop and even turn it back. With certain cells this is already possible in the laboratory.
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Quasi a fountain of fountain?
Yes, quasi. Of course you cannot become immortal, at least not in the near future. But today you live much longer than before. That seems to be part of progress. In Western Europe you have around 13 years today when you are no longer fit. We want to optimize the time duration of the healthy lifespan, so that you stay in a striving for as long as possible.
So far, our health system is based on the fact that people are given more and more tablets when they get old. But you only delay it, you die a little slower. We try to identify the causes of age. These are often cell -based, so we start with maximum.
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What exactly do you do of maximum? You are a risk capital provider, right?
Yes. But we not only invest, we are also an incubator and company builder. Ideally, researchers come to us who want to start a company. But they are researchers, not business people, so we do it together. We are substantial in advance and invest up to CHF 10 million in the first step via maximum.
A stupid question: how old do you plan to get?
The absolute age is not so relevant to me. If you don’t live happily and fulfilled, it doesn’t help you to grow twice as old. But I think the region around 110 is realistic if I don’t have a big bad luck, and since I like to be an entrepreneur, I would like that too. However, some researchers tell me that it is too conservative and we would be able to get much older.
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Life expectancy is currently between 80 and 85 in men depending on the location. It has risen a bit for a year for a year. It would soon take a good jump for your estimate. Why do you think there will be him?
In the whole of human history, it was only started to understand for the first time 10 years ago why people grow old. A Japanese researcher has received the Nobel Prize to determine nine Hallmarks of aging, i.e. license plates of aging. Today we have eleven such elements. They are cell -based and ensure that we grow old and die. Aging has been scientifically understood and can now treat the causes instead of curing the symptoms. If you do a little research on how supplements influence the lifespan, it is impressive to see what has happened in the past 10 years. The jump from over 80 to 90 to 100 years of life is rather conservative.
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How can you measure something like this empirically? I mean to recognize that we are effective a pill, you would have to wait until someone dies or do not die, which naturally takes a long time ..
Yes, that’s right. But you can measure how old someone is biological. If someone smokes three boxes of cigarettes a day and then stops, you can also see how the body changes. You now have increasingly precise methods to measure age. In addition, you test new methods with animals. Mice live an average of 18 months, so after two instead of 85 years you can see whether a substance extends its life.
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Interesting. But let’s change the topic again. On Twitter you are now presenting yourself with laser eyes and Bitoin-Hashtag. Are you sobered by “crypto”?
Openly said, yes. I was fascinated by crypto with use cases such as ICOS and Smart Contracts. I still find that exciting. But after such a long time in space, a certain disillusionment also used. Blockchain has solved very few real problems so far, and many visionary ideas have never been materialized. Maybe it’s still too early. But so far Bitcoin continues to be the only really meaningful and broad-used application of blockchain technology.
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Finally one last topic: After the failure of Libra, you see a chance for a stable coin that does not depict the dollar?
Yes. Look at the Brics and other institutions outside the West. The discussion there is currently gold as a cover. That definitely has more potential. You could put pressure on Libra, but if larger non-American players move, you can’t just forbid it. So I can already imagine that a stable coin is established that is not based on the dollar. There are so many crises and you can’t answer them forever by printing even more money. At some point it needs something new.
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If your plan runs out with Longevity, you will surely be able to see some currency reforms.
Historically this is normal. It is more of an exception to have stability for so long. It won’t happen overnight, but will go faster than many expect. The devaluation is already surprisingly sharp. I’m afraid you don’t have to swallow supplements to experience the next major currency reform.