Founder's corner9 essays archived
By Mathias Siemonsmeier
Essays, position papers, and analysis authored by Mathias Siemonsmeier (Founder, ChainChoice · Managing director, Simi Ventures GmbH). Topics span editorial integrity in decision-support platforms, cryptographic provenance for editorial decisions, EU crypto regulation analysis, and the architectural — not policy — approach to comparison-platform independence.
Author bio
Mathias Siemonsmeier, Founder of ChainChoice. Mathias spent five years in banking and fintech before moving into blockchain research. He founded ChainChoice to compare crypto and onchain products on published, verifiable criteria, and he writes and reviews its rankings and guides. ChainChoice is a brand of Simi Ventures GmbH (Bonn, Amtsgericht Bonn HRB 13950).
He writes about editorial integrity in decision-support platforms, cryptographic provenance for editorial decisions, the architectural — rather than policy — approach to ranking-system independence, and the EU's MiCA-era reset of the crypto-comparison category. Contact: mathias@chainchoice.io.
Essays (9)
Index · EU market structure8 min read2026-06-18
The MiCA Exchange Readiness Index: which EU crypto exchanges are positioned to win
MiCA is no longer a forecast — it is the operating reality of the EU crypto market. Eighteen months into full application, the transitional windows have closed or are closing, the CASP register has filled in, and the question for an EU user is no longer "is this regulated?" but "how cleanly is this exchange authorised, and where?" This index scores that readiness across six weighted dimensions — affiliate-blind, on public information, and verifiable per-provider against the ESMA register.
Read essay →
Index · exchange transparency7 min read2026-06-18
The Crypto Exchange Transparency & Proof-of-Reserves Index
After every exchange scare, the same question trends: "does my exchange actually have the money?" Proof of reserves became the industry's answer — but a Merkle-tree snapshot shows assets, not liabilities, and a self-published one shows neither honesty nor an auditor. This index scores what real transparency looks like across the major exchanges — proof of reserves, independent audit, public-company disclosure, custody, incident history — affiliate-blind, on public information, global rather than jurisdiction-bound..
Read essay →
Index · EU-Marktstruktur8 Min. Lesezeit2026-06-18
Der MiCA-Readiness-Index für Krypto-Börsen: Welche EU-Plattformen am besten aufgestellt sind
MiCA ist keine Prognose mehr — es ist die Betriebsrealität des EU-Krypto-Marktes. Achtzehn Monate nach der vollen Anwendung sind die Übergangsfristen geschlossen oder schließen gerade, das CASP-Register ist gefüllt, und die Frage lautet nicht mehr „ist das reguliert?", sondern „wie sauber ist diese Plattform zugelassen — und wo?".
Read essay →
Index · US market structure9 min read2026-06-12
The CLARITY Act Exchange Readiness Index: which US crypto exchanges are positioned to win
If the CLARITY Act passes, US crypto exchanges will not cross the line together. It passed the House on 17 July 2025; on 15 September 2026 the Senate rejected cloture on the motion to proceed, 49 to 50, and as of 13 October 2026 it is not law.
Read essay →
Insight · US regulatory shift11 min read2026-06-10
The CLARITY Act and why the United States could become crypto's default jurisdiction
For three years the conventional wisdom inside crypto was that the United States had ceded the category to Europe and Asia. The CLARITY Act — the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 (H.R.
Read essay →
Insight · editorial architecture8 min read2026-06-04
Affiliate-blind ranking as the new comparison-platform compliance standard
Every crypto-comparison site on Earth currently claims editorial independence in a footer disclosure. Almost none have made that independence verifiable in their architecture.
Read essay →
Insight · cryptographic provenance7 min read2026-06-04
What signed audit receipts actually prove (and what they don't)
Cryptographic signing is fashionable in 2026. Every infrastructure platform claims signed receipts, attestations, or proofs.
Read essay →
Insight · reader's guide6 min read2026-06-04
How to evaluate a crypto-comparison site's editorial integrity
You're a European retail crypto investor trying to choose a platform. You type your question into Google.
Read essay →
Insight · industry analysis9 min read2026-06-04
The state of EU crypto-asset service provider licensing — 2026 mid-year report
We are now eighteen months into MiCA full application. The transitional windows in most member states have either closed or are within weeks of closing.
Read essay →
Where Mathias is also credited
The methodology page, the affiliate disclosure receipt, and the §5 TMG imprint all carry Mathias's editorial accountability. These are the load-bearing trust artifacts of the platform.