Mining is still fundamental to most cryptocurrencies. However, it has become a major liability for the cryptoindustry as a whole. The unavoidable increase in the computational difficulty of Proof-of-Work mining has put the generation of most popular cryptocurrencies further and further beyond the reach of the average enthusiast. At the same time, the environmental impact and overall energy inefficiency of miners has drawn a great deal of criticism both within and outside the cryptocurrency community.
Swiss Alps Energy AG is yet another one of the dedicated cryptocurrency ASIC mining companies that now play a central role in the cryptoindustry. But its plans go much further than those of most of its rivals. The Swiss Alps Mining project involves using cutting edge mining hardware, a unique geographic opportunity and AI technology to not only carry out mining in a more efficient way, benefiting the company and those who would lease its equipment, but also rehabilitate the cryptoindustry's image by using renewable energy, recycling miner heat and supporting local development. Beyond that, SAE intends to set up a peer-to-peer energy trading system in which it will be one player among many.
How will the Swiss Alps Mining model work?
SAE plans to rent unused buildings in the Swiss Alps, refit them as mining facilities and use them to house SAM Cubes: Modular mining units consisting of an aluminum shell, a ventilation system and an ASIC miner. Those ASICs could be used to mine different cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin or Monero. While each unit will operate autonomously, they will be connected to a central management platform that will use AI algorithms to assign them optimal parameters. SAM Cubes will come in different sizes and configurations. By using the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system, SAE would recycle the miners' heat output and therefore greatly increase their energy efficiency. The power necessary for those facilities' operation will be acquired from the company's own hydroelectric plants. Operations will be supervised by SAE staff locally through SAM Centers.
Though SAE will mine cryptocurrencies for itself, it may also lease out SAM Cubes, facilities and facility space to other individuals or companies. This will be done through the SAM Platform, accessed through a web, desktop or mobile app. Customers would need to undergo an innovative blockchain-based KYC/AML process (in which the required private information is confirmed by a trusted institution and then used for cryptographic verification, but not shared with other parties) before receiving their unique ID. Users wishing to mine cryptocurrencies using SAE facilities may purchase SAM Cubes or rent them for a fixed biannual fee of 4000 USD paid using SAM tokens, plus 10% of their mining profits as a service fee. Optionally, they may also subscribe to AI services provided by SAE's SamaiX program, which will use past and current market data and user decisions to make proposals for optimised mining. It will only offer suggestions which the user may accept or reject.
In addition to its mining services, the company intends to set up a decentralised energy trading network that would include its own power plants. It will do this by creating intelligent meters that would communicate the power use of participating energy consumers directly to the blockchain. A specialised smart contract set up using Hyperledger Burrow will automatically transfer payments in SAM tokens to the energy provider in accordance with the readings or halt services if that becomes impossible. SAE's blockchain platform will support different distributed ledger frameworks to manage different aspects of its business. It would also make it easy for its users to integrate their own frameworks to help manage their mining or energy trading activities within the ecosystem.
What are Swiss Alps Mining's advantages over similar projects?
Operating out of Switzerland offers many distinct advantages. The country is famously safe and stable and has a strong pro-business environment. At the same time, it also has a large number of abandoned rural structures due to the decline of its agricultural sector. The temperatures at high altitudes should help the enterprise be energy-efficient. Likewise, it can rely on the existing renewable energy infrastructure. SAE emphasises its desire to work with local communities, bolstering their economy while drawing them into its energy ecosystem. The SAM Centers will be essential in this regard.
The SAM project team has extensive engineering and software development skills. It also wishes to partner with Cryptocoinexchange in order to set up its own internal exchange and enable seamless currency conversions. Both the technical and the business design of the platform is highly scalable, allowing it to easily expand by renting more buildings, constructing more mining or power generation units and adding more participants to its developing ecosystem.
Token sale details
A scaling Alpine cryptomining ecosystem
While there are many cryptocurrency mining companies out there, including ones that seek funding through an ICO, Swiss Alps Mining still stands out. Its proposal is considerably more wide-ranging than most, including a concept for optimised and sustainable cryptocurrency mining, a decentralised renewable energy market and a model for revitalising the local economy. Likewise, although many cryptocurrency projects promise to tackle the energy efficiency challenge, SAE's multi-faceted approach to renewable energy is more ambitious than most. If implemented in full, it could have tremendous impact.
It is clear that this complicated, yet very promising approach has its fans. Swiss Alps Mining has already received a great deal of support during its ICO. Its first SAM Cubes and mining facilities are up and running. Long-term success would require still more work on the team's part, however, as well as finding more customers and partners. On the whole, while the success of its initial launch is practically assured, SEA has a lot of room for growth in every aspect, from setting up more facilities to developing its AI and energy trading offerings. Only time will tell how high it may climb.
Links:
Website: https://swissalpsmining.io/
WhitePaper: https://swissalpsmining.io/pdf/whitepaper.pdf
Telegram: https://t.me/swissalpsminingICO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swissalpsmining/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/swissalpsmining
Medium: https://medium.com/@swissalpsenergy
ANN: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3799103
Author: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=980049
Disclaimer
This review by Bonanza Kreep is all opinion and analysis, not investment advice.