Tag: sea

169 Million Users: Hedera's SEA Gamble – Will It Pay Off?

169 Million Users: Hedera's SEA Gamble – Will It Pay Off?

• Commentary

Hedera's move into Southeast Asia, partnering with Binary Holdings to tap into the region's massive mobile user base, feels ambitious. 169 million potential users ain’t no joke. Ambition doesn't guarantee success. It’s a high-stakes poker game, and the cards on the table are still largely hidden. Is this something of...

Polemos & BUFF: Will This Partnership Finally Unlock Web3 Gaming for SEA?

Polemos & BUFF: Will This Partnership Finally Unlock Web3 Gaming for SEA?

• Commentary

Can one token launch and one strategic partnership really shift the game for SEA’s (Southeast Asia) Web3 gaming future? Maybe. Let's be real, the devil is always in the details, especially when you're talking about a region as diverse and nuanced as SEA. Polemos, launching its $PLMS token on June...

Web3's $50M AI Bet: A Boon or Bust for SEA Creatives?

Web3's $50M AI Bet: A Boon or Bust for SEA Creatives?

• Commentary

I first encountered Anya at a busy Bangkok night market last year. Every single one of her hand-painted phone cases was a psychedelic explosion of Southeast Asian folklore. Originally, Anya was very excited about Web3. She had a dream of NFTs helping her regain control over her art and how...

LOL Land: Will Pudgy Penguins Pave the Way for SEA's Web3 Creative Boom?

LOL Land: Will Pudgy Penguins Pave the Way for SEA's Web3 Creative Boom?

• Commentary

Is LOL Land, this deceptively complex, totally adorable, browser-based game from Yield Guild Games (YGG) really all that and a bag of chips? Or would it instead open the floodgates to a surge of artistic inspiration within Southeast Asia’s thriving Web3 ecosystem? I understand how this sounds, crazy even, connecting...

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...