In poker, there’s a strategy called the semi-bluff. The semi-bluff is used when a player has a hand that they know is unlikely to be the best hand, but that could become the best if the right cards fall. The basic idea of the semi-bluff is that the chance of the hand becoming the best isn’t good enough to make playing it profitable and the chance of a bluff being successful isn’t good enough to be profitable. But the combination of the chance of a successful bluff and the chance of getting the best hand is enough to make it profitable. By having two possible paths to victory on the hand, an otherwise unprofitable situation becomes profitable.
Swiss Alps Mining & Energy feels like the semi-bluff to me. It’s a big, complicated, ambitious project. As such, the bar for success is set quite high. Based on my admittedly limited understanding of Swiss Alps Mining & Energy business plan, it seems that the primary path to success will be operating and renting out efficient crypto mining machines. That alone may or may not be enough to make the entire project successful.
Additionally, Swiss Alps Mining & Energy will be generating their own power and may have the capability of selling excess energy, which could potentially add to their profits.
If that isn’t enough, there’s the added environmental benefit of the project. Crypto mining on their machines should be far more efficient and environmentally friendly than in other locations. This is a significant benefit as crypto mining already is said to use as much energy worldwide as the total energy consumption of Ireland with the amount expected to increase substantially in the coming years.
Lastly, there’s a cultural benefit, as Swiss Alps Mining & Energy will be able to maintain abandoned buildings that contribute to the scenery of the Swiss countryside but would otherwise fall into ruin.
Each of these benefits might not be enough on its own to justify that hard work, expense and risk of an ambitious project like Swiss Alps Mining & Energy, but taken together they make a compelling case for the importance of the project and the benefits that will come from it. I’m certainly hoping (and expecting) that the ICO will be a huge success and that they receive the funding needed for the project to move rapidly ahead in the coming months.
I also believe that this is the type of project that will appeal to the public imagination and hopefully will appeal to environmentally conscious European governments as well. Elon Musk has become a household name because he isn’t afraid to proceed with big, ambitious, risky projects that will change the world, and I think that Swiss Alps falls into this same category. As the project gains momentum, publicity will follow more naturally than it does for many other blockchain projects. In addition, cooperation from governments (initially from the Swiss government and local governments in the Swiss Alps) could go a long way towards overcoming some of the operational and logistical hurdles facing such a complex endeavor.
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