Or I think about Nandar, a wonderful Burmese artist that I met in Yangon, sharing with me her latest NFT collection. Each work exploded with vivid imagery, bravely fighting back against the junta’s repressive hold. She began selling them directly to supporters around the world, allowing her to cleverly sidestep state censorship and providing an invaluable financial lifeline. It was native, it was authentic, it was Web3 as designed to be.

Donald Trump Jr. to speak at Korea Blockchain Week 2025.

Is this progress? Is this mainstream adoption? Is this the time that Web3 sells out on its ideals? Or, are they just looking for a seat at the table with the same folks it was meant to shake up?

Authenticity Died, KBW2025 Buried It?

We all know that crypto space has attracted grifters and snake oil salesmen since its very inception. There’s a world of difference between a cautious investor and that dude. Trump Jr.'s involvement feels less like a genuine interest in decentralized technologies and more like brand extension, a calculated move to tap into a new market and rehabilitate a tarnished image.

KBW2025 has a wonderfully diverse lineup of speakers, including the likes of Arthur Hayes, Lily Liu and Sandeep Nailwal. Of course, all eyes will be on him. Will the media care enough even to highlight the truly creationary work that others are doing? Or will it all be dumbed down to clickbait headlines on Trump Jr.’s latest Bitcoin pronouncement?

In many ways, the region is leapfrogging traditional financial systems, using Web3 for everything from cross-border payments to land registry. For artists like Nandar, this is a tool that truly empowers them. It allows them to go around oppressive regimes and speak directly to a worldwide audience.

Southeast Asia: Different Web3 Values?

Can the ideal of decentralization really ring out in societies that seem to value control and group decision-making above all? Or are these Western values being forced on a very Eastern world region with very different needs, values, and local solutions?

Maybe the promise of financial independence is too intoxicating to worry about who’s selling it to you. Maybe the ends justify the means. Yet I can’t rid myself of the sense that something more essential is being lost in the shuffle.

Web3 was meant to be the punk rock of the internet, a rebellious fuck you to centralized authority. It was less about transportation per se and much more about empowering people, creating community, and creating a more just future.

Inviting in people like Trump Jr. seems like a stretch. It’s like bringing a pop diva onto a punk record label. It would better serve their current listeners and users. It runs the risk of excluding the core-feel fanbase and thereby diluting the original anti-establishment message.

  • Western Idealism vs. Pragmatism: Is Web3's decentralization inherently a Western ideal, or can it be adapted to fit Southeast Asian values?
  • Opportunity Costs: Is the potential for increased investment worth the risk of losing control over the narrative?
  • Cultural Nuances: How do different cultural interpretations of "community" and "ownership" affect Web3 adoption in the region?

Punk Rock or Pop Star Sellout?

Just take a short glimpse at the wide-ranging strategic partnerships KBW2025 has already established. Sui, Stable, 0G – three amazing technologies, each in the end dependent on centralized intermediaries and old power structures. Even Stable’s adoption of USDT, spearheaded by Tether, undermines the claimed decentralization of the platform.

Let’s continue to uplift the work of the artists, developers, and communities who are still creating Web3 from the bottom up. They don’t need to ask the old boys club for a permit! It’s time we fund the projects that undergird decentralization, transparency, and community ownership as imperatives in our digital future. Now we need to hold the newcomers accountable. Though important, let’s make sure they really represent an authentic return to the core principles of this space.

If we don’t act, Web3 will just as easily become an expensive playground for the elite and influential. Without careful planning, it could become a digital mirror of the same oppressive system it sought to overthrow. That, my friends, would be the greatest sellout ever. Let's not let that happen. Let’s ensure that KBW2025 doesn’t end up being the tombstone of Web3’s punk rock ethos. Instead, let this victory be a reminder of what we’re all in the trenches for.

It's a constant balancing act.

So, what can we do?

We need to amplify the voices of the artists, developers, and communities who are building Web3 from the ground up, not waiting for permission from the establishment. We need to support projects that prioritize decentralization, transparency, and community ownership. We need to demand accountability from the figures who are entering the space, ensuring that they are genuinely committed to its original values.

Because if we don't, Web3 risks becoming just another echo chamber for the rich and powerful, a digital version of the very system it was meant to overthrow. And that, my friends, would be the ultimate sellout. Let's not let that happen. Let's make sure KBW2025 doesn't become the tombstone of Web3's punk rock spirit. Instead, let's use it as a reminder of what we're fighting for.