WISeKey Celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a Strategic Shift to Web 3.0, Championing a Neutral, Secure, and Decentralized Internet
Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For more information visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxN0UbAvA54
WISeKey International Holding Ltd. (“WISeKey”) (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions operating as a holding company, today celebrates its 25th anniversary by unveiling a strategic reorganization toward Web 3.0, exemplifying a new era of a neutral, secure, and decentralized internet. This transition underscores WISeKey’s enduring commitment to innovation and its pioneering role in the digital landscape since its inception in 1999.
Pioneering the Web 3.0 Paradigm: From its early days as a trailblazer in identity management and secure digital processes, WISeKey now spearheads the Web 3.0 revolution. This paradigm shift embraces a decentralized ecosystem, empowering creators and users with data ownership and control, moving away from the traditional server-based infrastructure to a more interconnected and democratic digital realm.
Evolution Through the Web Generations: WISeKey’s journey began with Web 1.0, focusing on static page information sharing and developing groundbreaking applications in identity management and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). This foundation facilitated early e-voting systems, national ID projects and large-scale digital identity ecosystems deployments. As Web 2.0 emerged, it catalyzed the era of social media and user-generated content, but often at the cost of centralized data control by large corporations that required companies like WISekey to emphasize the protection of users and the need for them to retain control of their identities. Web 3.0 represents a significant departure from this model, championing decentralization and user empowerment.
From Centralized to Decentralized Internet: The internet’s initial structure centered around centralized server ownership for simplicity in network infrastructure. However, this often meant that data, even if user-generated, was not truly owned by its creators. Web 3.0 disrupts this by diversifying data storage across decentralized networks, aligning with the original vision of the Web to be universally accessible, and unregulated space.
WISeKey is applying these Web 3.0 technologies to generate new revenue streams leveraging its existing expertise in cybersecurity, blockchain, and identity management to explore new business models and opportunities such as:
1. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Services: Utilizing its expertise in secure digital identities and blockchain, WISeKey is starting to offer secure DeFi services. This includes secure wallet services, identity verification for DeFi transactions, or providing cybersecurity solutions to other DeFi platforms.
2. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): WISeKey’s involvement in NFTs, particularly through WISe.ART Corp, positions it well to capitalize on this market. We are expanding our NFT marketplace, offering secure authentication of digital assets and potentially developing new NFT standards for various industries such IoT and Medical.
3. Blockchain-Based Gaming: Leveraging its blockchain and cybersecurity capabilities, WISeKey will develop secure platforms for blockchain-based gaming. This includes ensuring the security of in-game transactions and the authenticity of in-game assets.
4. Data Monetization: With its strong foundation in digital identity and security, WISeKey has created platforms such as WISeID.COM that enable users to securely store and monetize their personal data, ensuring privacy and control over their identity and information.
5. Tokenization: WISeKey in cooperation with Hedera’s blockchain technology has started to offer tokenization services, helping businesses tokenize their assets such as the WISe.ART Token and SEALCOIN. These assets could range from art and real estate to intellectual property, providing a secure and transparent way to manage and trade.
6. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): By providing secure and transparent platforms for DAO operations, WISeKey is assisting organizations to manage their activities in a decentralized manner, ensuring the integrity and security of DAO transactions and governance.
7. Subscription Models and Premium Content: WISeKey is offering secure platforms for content creators to distribute premium content directly to their audience, bypassing traditional channels and ensuring data security and privacy.
8. Smart Contracts for Automation: Utilizing our expertise in blockchain and cybersecurity, WISeKey can assist companies in the development and offer smart contract solutions to automate and secure various business processes across industries.
9. Decentralized Identity and Cloud Services: WISeKey is evolving it’s WISeID platform to leverage capabilities for distributed identity and starting a new services as WISeCloud, to provide decentralized cloud storage and computing services, emphasizing their strengths in security and data protection.
10. Cryptocurrency Staking and Mining: While not a traditional area for WISeKey, exploring opportunities in cryptocurrency staking or offering security solutions for the mining sector could be a potential revenue stream for the Company. WISeKey is currently testing these services in Gibraltar using one of its secure datacenters.
By integrating these Web 3.0 revenue models with its existing technologies and expertise, WISeKey can not only enhance its product offerings but also is able to expand into new markets and opportunities in the evolving digital landscape. WISeKey’s portfolio companies play a critical role in facilitating the transition to a Web 3.0 decentralized internet, each contributing specialized technologies and expertise.
Let’s break down their individual roles in the context of Web 3.0:
- SEALSQ Corp: Specializing in semiconductors, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and post-quantum technology products, SEALSQ Corp (“SEALSQ) (Nasdaq: LAES), contributes to the hardware and cryptographic backbone necessary for a secure Web 3.0 infrastructure. Semiconductors are essential for processing data, while PKI and post-quantum technologies provide robust security measures crucial for protecting data in a decentralized environment. These advanced semiconductors are vital for the enhanced performance and security required by decentralized networks and devices, enabling faster and more secure processing of transactions and interactions in the Web 3.0 ecosystem.
- WISeKey SA: This entity specializes in Root of Trust (RoT) and PKI solutions. In a decentralized internet, trust and identity verification are paramount. RoT provides a secure foundation for digital certificates, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of devices and users. PKI, on the other hand, is crucial for secure communications, enabling encrypted data transfer and digital signatures. The company operated WISeID.COM.
- WISeSat.Space AG: Concentrating in space technology, with a dedicated satellite constellation in orbit, WISeSat is dedicated to ensuring secure satellite communication, with a primary focus on IoT applications. This includes enhancing the traceability of smart containers in logistics, optimizing performance for smart agriculture, and facilitating asset supervision for armed forces. In the realm of a decentralized internet, satellite technology emerges as a promising alternative, offering a potentially more secure means of data transmission. This not only extends connectivity but also bolsters the network’s resilience against terrestrial vulnerabilities.
- WISe.ART Corp: Dedicated to trusted blockchain (Non-Fungible Tokens) NFTs, WISe.ART manages a marketplace for secure NFT transactions. In the Web 3.0 context, NFTs represent a way to authenticate and trade digital assets in a decentralized manner. Blockchain technology ensures the security, transparency, and traceability of these transactions.
Together, these entities create a comprehensive ecosystem that supports the infrastructure of a decentralized Web 3.0. This includes secure communication channels, trusted identity verification systems, robust data processing capabilities, and alternative connectivity solutions. Their combined efforts are aimed at ensuring a secure, efficient, and user-empowered internet, where data ownership and privacy are prioritized.
These four subsidiaries form the cornerstone of WISeKey’s mission to secure the internet. Collectively, they integrate Blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies to safeguard digital identities for individuals and objects. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed globally, WISeKey is a leader in securing the Internet of Everything, leveraging AI to enable predictive analytics for equipment failure prevention.
As WISeKey steps into its next quarter-century, it remains dedicated to shaping a more secure, equitable, and user-centric digital future, harnessing the transformative power of Web 3.0.
About WISeKey
WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN; Nasdaq: WKEY) is a global leader in cybersecurity, digital identity, and IoT solutions platform. It operates as a Swiss-based holding company through several operational subsidiaries, each dedicated to specific aspects of its technology portfolio. The subsidiaries include (i) SEALSQ Corp (Nasdaq: LAES), which focuses on semiconductors, PKI, and post-quantum technology products, (ii) WISeKey SA which specializes in RoT and PKI solutions for secure authentication and identification in IoT, Blockchain, and AI, (iii) WISeSat AG which focuses on space technology for secure satellite communication, specifically for IoT applications, and (iv) WISe.ART Corp which focuses on trusted blockchain NFTs and operates the WISe.ART marketplace for secure NFT transactions.
Each subsidiary contributes to WISeKey’s mission of securing the internet while focusing on their respective areas of research and expertise. Their technologies seamlessly integrate into the comprehensive WISeKey platform. WISeKey secures digital identity ecosystems for individuals and objects using Blockchain, AI, and IoT technologies. With over 1.6 billion microchips deployed across various IoT sectors, WISeKey plays a vital role in securing the Internet of Everything. The company’s semiconductors generate valuable Big Data that, when analyzed with AI, enable predictive equipment failure prevention. Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey cryptographic Root of Trust, WISeKey provides secure authentication and identification for IoT, Blockchain, and AI applications. The WISeKey Root of Trust ensures the integrity of online transactions between objects and people. For more information on WISeKey’s strategic direction and its subsidiary companies, please visit www.wisekey.com.
Press and investor contacts:
WISeKey International Holding Ltd
Carlos Moreira
Chairman & CEO
Tel: +41 22 594 3000 / info@wisekey.com
WISeKey Investor Relations (US)
The Equity Group Inc.
Lena Cati
Tel: +1 212 836-9611 / lcati@equityny.com
Katie Murphy
Tel: +1 212 836-9612 / kmurphy@equityny.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.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”), the FInSa’s predecessor legislation or advertising within the meaning of the FinSA. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.
