Tag: startup funding

Yupp's $33M Seed: Proof AI & Crypto Can Empower Southeast Asia's Creators

Yupp's $33M Seed: Proof AI & Crypto Can Empower Southeast Asia's Creators

• Commentary

I think of my encounter with one such young Indonesian artist in Yogyakarta a few years ago. Whether they were organic or expressive, her digital creations dazzled, colorful compositions that echoed the spirit of the archipelago. She was struggling. Then the theft began, with manufacturers overseas slapping her work on...

Inco's $5M Round: Will Confidentiality Unlock Southeast Asia's Web3 Boom?

Inco's $5M Round: Will Confidentiality Unlock Southeast Asia's Web3 Boom?

• Commentary

Southeast Asia. An area humming with artistic innovation, business ingenuity, and a cultural proclivity for valuing private expertise. Now, Inco, flush with a new $5 million, believes they hold the proverbial magic key to the region’s Web3 potential. Is it all just smoke and mirrors, or can privacy truly be...

Andreessen Horowitz Deepens Crypto Commitment with Strategic Investments

Andreessen Horowitz Deepens Crypto Commitment with Strategic Investments

• Web3 Projects

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is one of the most active investors in cryptocurrency and fintech. They are proving time and again that they’re the dominant player in the digital asset space. The firm has already made a number of strategic investments. This step demonstrates its bold confidence in the long-term promise...

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...

Donald Trump Jr. Headlines Korea Blockchain Week 2025

Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) 2025, Asia’s largest and most influential Web3 conference, is returning to Seoul this coming September. The collaborative innovation summit recently announced its second wave of speakers and lead partners. You can expect big names such as Donald Trump Jr., Keone Hon from Monad Foundation, Guy Young...

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....