Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar wants to position the country as the most recognised blockchain destination in the European Union. 

Successful Slovenian companies in the field are already ranked among the world’s leading developers of digital investment platforms, reads the government’s October 11 statement.

“The regulatory bodies and ministries are already studying blockchain, and the state is participating in activities at European level in the area of the introduction and regulation of this technology. We are also already laying the foundations for the initial pilot testing of the technology in the state administration,” Cerar said on October 11.

In order to transfer and spread this information, in cooperation with the Slovenian Digital Coalition, Slovenia has established a blockchain think tank, which connects all of the stakeholders and will also serve as a single contact point for discussions with the state, Cerar added. The think tank’s activities will be focused on education and awareness-raising, the drafting of legislative proposals and solutions, and linking Slovenian knowledge and awareness with respect to Industry 4.0. 

One of the Slovenian companies active in blockchain technology is startup Cashila. Backed by early-stage venture capital investor LAUNCHUB, which is helping innovative startups, Cashila started ICONOMI, a new fund management platform with a focus on blockchain. The platform allows investors, even those who are not very into cryptocurrencies, to easily invest crypto ventures. This decentralised alternative to the multi-billion dollar fund management industry is expected to boost the value of digital assets. 

ICONOMI became the biggest European crowdfunded project after raising over $10mn from 3,398 founders through its ICONOMI Initial Coin Offering (ICO), according to GoalEurope, a company which provides advisory services in the software development area in SEE, CEE and Russia.

Another company active in this industry in Slovenia is Viberate which is part of the Blockchain Initiative.

According to CoinDesk, an information services company for the digital asset and blockchain technology community, the EU has invested more than €5mn in startups that are working on various projects involving blockchain. So far, six startups developing or researching applications of the tech have received funding through the Horizon 2020 innovation initiative, according to publicly available data. In April, the EU began laying the foundation for a so-called Blockchain Observatory that would act as a research and outreach office for its work with the tech, CoinDesk reports.