Tag: digital currency

Crypto's Future Isn't Red Hats, It's MiCA: A Southeast Asian View

Crypto's Future Isn't Red Hats, It's MiCA: A Southeast Asian View

• Commentary

Let’s face it — the crypto industry is all hype and no substance. Everyone’s an expert, everyone’s got a hot take, everyone’s got their coin that they want to shill. Between the Twitter storms and Telegram pump-and-dumps, a tectonic shift is happening under the surface. Believe it or not, it’s...

Meme Coins Defy Market Trends as Only Profitable Crypto Sector in 2025

Meme Coins Defy Market Trends as Only Profitable Crypto Sector in 2025

• NFT Drops

Memecoins have become the only category of crypto pumping in the green for 2025 with these outperforming every other sector in the market. Despite a high failure rate, memecoins recorded an average profit and loss (PnL) of +33.08% during the first five months of the year. Such astounding performance reveals...

JPMorgan's Crypto Embrace 3 Ways It Could Empower Emerging Markets

JPMorgan's Crypto Embrace 3 Ways It Could Empower Emerging Markets

• Commentary

Would you believe, then, that JPMorgan Chase—yes, that JPMorgan Chase—is warm and fuzzy on crypto? They've been chatting with the SEC, flexing their crypto muscles, and even trademarking "JMPD," a potential crypto service and deposit token. While some might see this as Wall Street finally legitimizing digital assets, I see...

Pump.fun's $4B Dream: Innovation or Just Another Crypto Casino?

Pump.fun's $4B Dream: Innovation or Just Another Crypto Casino?

• Commentary

Four billion dollars? For meme coins? That’s the speculative valuation Pump.fun is going after with its proposed launch of their own PUMP token. It makes you stop and ask: Are we witnessing the democratization of finance, or just the gamification of speculation on a grand, potentially dangerous, scale?$4B Valuation Seriously?...

Own's Crypto Payouts: Empowering Southeast Asian Creators Or Just Hype?

Own's Crypto Payouts: Empowering Southeast Asian Creators Or Just Hype?

• Commentary

Southeast Asia is a hotbed of creativity, bursting with talent that often struggles to break through the noise of traditional media and financial systems. It’s more than just a shame—it’s dangerous business—these incredible artists, musicians and storytellers are under threat. Geographical limitations, banking restrictions, and the prohibitive costs of fair...

Is Crypto's 'Easy Street' Dream Dead? A Southeast Asia Perspective

Is Crypto's 'Easy Street' Dream Dead? A Southeast Asia Perspective

• Commentary

The siren song of crypto: easy money, financial freedom, escape from the 9-to-5 grind. It's a powerful narrative, especially alluring to those of us grinding it out in Southeast Asia's burgeoning economies. Is that actually a reality, or is it just a mirage shimmering in the tropical sun? Are we...

Vietnam's Crypto Gamble: Will AML Compliance Crush Innovation?

Vietnam's Crypto Gamble: Will AML Compliance Crush Innovation?

• Commentary

Is going after FATF approval really worth killing the decentralized spirit that makes crypto so disruptive? Vietnam’s new Law on Digital Technology Industry is designed to create an environment where innovation can flourish and FDI is directed. In reality, it could unknowingly suppress the very ecosystem that it aims to...

Stablecoin Regulation: Why Asia's Creative Economy Needs Hong Kong's Approach

Stablecoin Regulation: Why Asia's Creative Economy Needs Hong Kong's Approach

• Commentary

The West needs to lose that view of superiority when it comes to crypto regulation. Does an “all of the above” blanket approach ever cut it, particularly for Southeast Asia’s colorful, evolving, expanding creative economies? I don't think so. In fact, I know it doesn't. If we are serious about...

5 Ways South Korea's Stablecoin Law Empowers Southeast Asian Artists

5 Ways South Korea's Stablecoin Law Empowers Southeast Asian Artists

• Commentary

I've been deeply involved in expanding blockchain access in Southeast Asia, and South Korea's new stablecoin law isn't just another piece of legislation. It's a potential rocket booster for artists across the region. Cut through the jargon and let’s focus on how this will improve and save lives.Art Sales Get...

South Korea's Stablecoin Gamble: Is Central Bank Control Worth the Risk?

South Korea's Stablecoin Gamble: Is Central Bank Control Worth the Risk?

• Commentary

South Korea's diving headfirst into the stablecoin pool with its "Digital Asset Basic Act," and while the pro-crypto sentiment is refreshing, I can't shake the feeling that they're prioritising control over innovation. Color me cynical, but history has shown that governments don’t tend to give up power — particularly when...

Japan's Bitcoin Revolution: A Boon for Artists and Web3 Creators?

Is Japan on the verge of accidentally unleashing a tsunami of creative destruction and financial liberation onto the rest of the emerging markets? I know this seems like a tall order, but hear me out. Japan’s regulatory change to officially recognize Bitcoin as a financial product. This step is a...

5 Ways This Crypto Bill Empowers Southeast Asian Artists, Not Wall Street

Let’s be honest, when you hear about crypto regulation, your first thought probably isn't Southeast Asian artists finding new avenues for creative expression. Surely visions of Wall Street honchos and inscrutable derivatives dance in your head. Well, what if I told you that the Senate’s Banking Committee just released their...

Crypto's 'Light-Touch' Regulation Gamble Will It Protect You?

The Senate Committee’s proposed “light-touch” regulatory framework for crypto is a long high-stakes poker game. Are we all truly holding a winning hand, or are we collectively bluffing our way into a future financial crisis? It’s a question every investor, every innovator, and frankly, every citizen should want to know....

Trump Jr. at KBW2025: Web3's Punk Rock Moment or Sellout?

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...

KBW2025: Is Trump Jr. Web3's Trojan Horse or its Savior?

Donald Trump Jr. at Korea Blockchain Week? It's a head-scratcher, isn't it? About as easy as locating a MAGA hat at a Burning Man soirée. Before we put this down as just another short-lived publicity stunt, let’s take a closer look at what this could IoTally Web3 means. Cynical ploy...

Schiff's Crypto Ban: Is He Protecting Us or Silencing Innovation?

Senator Adam Schiff's proposed crypto ban, the COIN Act, aimed at preventing the President (read: Donald Trump) from dabbling in digital assets, raises a critical question: Is this genuine protection against corruption, or a veiled attempt to stifle innovation, especially for emerging markets? Let's be real, the optics are terrible....

Immutable's Gamble: Will Gas-Free Trading Save Web3 Gaming?

Yet the hype around Web3 gaming is real, offering gamers true digital ownership and player-driven economies. Let’s get real: that promise usually meets a very different fate. High gas fees and a clunky user experience can quickly derail those intentions. Immutable is taking a big bet with its zkEVM and...