Philipp Pieper is not your average blockchain entrepreneur. A self-described systems thinker with roots in AI, behavioral economics, and open-source advocacy, Pieper’s latest venture—Swarm—is more than a protocol. It’s a bold bet on a decentralized, intelligent, and hyper-personalized future of finance.
We caught up with Pieper at a private roundtable in Zug, Switzerland, a global hub for digital finance and tokenization, to talk about the direction of Web3, the role of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), and how AI is transforming the investment landscape for ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
Bridging the Old and New Worlds
“At the core of our work with Swarm is a belief that blockchain infrastructure can bring unprecedented access, liquidity, and transparency to real-world assets,” Pieper explains. “Think of everything from private equity and real estate to fine art and legal contracts—these are multi-trillion dollar markets traditionally siloed from most investors.”
Swarm allows qualified investors to trade fully regulated tokenized securities using blockchain technology, seamlessly connecting traditional capital with next-gen tech.
The Role of AI in a Web3 World
According to Pieper, AI will be a defining force in decentralized finance—not as a gimmick, but as a tool for hyper-customized investing and risk management.
“We’re already using AI to scan market conditions and optimize liquidity pools in real time. The next step is personalized wealth systems that learn from an investor’s preferences, exposures, and goals,” he says. “This is the future of family offices and sovereign wealth strategies.”
Tokenization as the Next Big Asset Class
Tokenized RWAs are becoming increasingly attractive to discerning investors. Why? Yield, liquidity, and access. As traditional bonds underperform and geopolitical instability persists, Pieper believes more capital will flow into blockchain-based instruments offering programmable risk profiles and borderless settlement.
“Tokenization is not about crypto hype,” he adds. “It’s about enabling institutions and serious investors to move capital in ways that were never before possible.”
The Rise of Digital Jurisdictions
As the regulatory landscape evolves, Pieper points to new forms of governance—digital nation-states, decentralized identities, and programmable compliance—as critical to building trust and adoption.
“Digital assets and identities must live within frameworks that ensure security and accountability,” he explains. “Swarm’s regulatory-first approach has helped us work with European regulators to pioneer a new path for compliant DeFi.”
Why the UHNW Community Should Care
For Pieper, ultra-high-net-worth families are ideally positioned to benefit from the structural shifts ahead. With their agility and appetite for long-term opportunity, they’re often the first to capture generational wealth moves.
“Web3 isn’t just a new market—it’s a new mindset,” he says. “And those who engage now will be shaping the financial systems of tomorrow.”
