Tag: emerging markets

NFTs Aren't Dead, They're Just **Becoming More Southeast Asian**

NFTs Aren't Dead, They're Just **Becoming More Southeast Asian**

• Commentary

Wait, the NFT market crashed last week? Big deal. Headlines are screaming "NFTs are dead!" Again. Been there, heard that. To be frank, it seems like the Western crypto echo chamber just enjoys proclaiming the death of NFTs every other Tuesday. Let me tell you something: they're not dead. They’re...

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...

Web3's Harvard Moment: Are Elites Finally Listening to Emerging Markets?

Web3's Harvard Moment: Are Elites Finally Listening to Emerging Markets?

• Commentary

I’ll never forget Nandar though, an incredibly smart young woman from Yangon. Chloe survived on a diet of instant noodles for several months as she bootstrapped her first Web3 hackathon. Her enthusiasm for empowering her compatriots, other Burmese coders, with blockchain skills was infectious. The painful underlying scarcity of resources...

Untapped Potential How Paris Blockchain Week Missed Southeast Asia's Web3 Boom

Untapped Potential How Paris Blockchain Week Missed Southeast Asia's Web3 Boom

• Commentary

Paris Blockchain week (PBW) 2025, hosted at the Carrousel du Louvre, was quite the spectacle. Over 9,600 attendees from 95 countries, a speaker lineup boasting names like Charles Hoskinson and Monica Long, and even a partnership announcement between PSG and Matchain – it all screams global. Let’s face it —...

Web3's Hottest Picks: Are They Really Empowering Emerging Markets?

Web3's Hottest Picks: Are They Really Empowering Emerging Markets?

• Commentary

Let's be real. We’re all familiar with these “Top 10” lists, promising insights on the hottest new Web3 projects. But only 22% of these initiatives include metrics to assess innovative impacts on transforming the land of emerging markets. In particular, I’m referring to Southeast Asia, a part of the world...

Mahomes' NFT Museum: A Game Changer for Artists in Emerging Markets?

Mahomes' NFT Museum: A Game Changer for Artists in Emerging Markets?

• Commentary

Mahomes is launching an NFT museum. Okay, cool. Another celebrity jumping on the bandwagon, right? Maybe. Let's flip this narrative. Let's talk about the unexpected potential here, the ripple effect that could reach far beyond Kansas City and touch the lives of artists you've probably never heard of, laboring in...

Sigma Capital's Budki: Web3's Unsung Hero for Emerging Markets?

Sigma Capital's Budki: Web3's Unsung Hero for Emerging Markets?

• Commentary

Is the future of Web3 being constructed in sleepy Silicon Valley, or in the vibrant, underappreciated neighborhoods of Southeast Asia? Prolific pipelines of innovation attracting our attention are the much ballyhooed established tech hubs such as Silicon Valley, New York and Boston. At the same time, emerging markets promise enormous...

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...