Contributor
Will Fee is an editor and Asia correspondent based in central Tokyo. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Japanese Studies from Oxford University, where he specialized in postwar politics, culture and society. He previously covered domestic politics for The Japan Times and is interested in exploring the political implications of a regulatory pivot toward crypto and Web3 in East Asia.
Conference Summaries
Geisha, kimono, tea ceremony — the Japanese city of Kyoto is a place rich in traditional culture. But as the national government pivots toward the cutting edge potential of digital assets and Web3, the city is this week playing host to one of Asia’s largest crypto get-togethers.
Will Fee
Metaverse Platforms
After a slow start, Japan’s development of a domestic metaverse is gaining pace. This second account in a three-part series asks: can the nation compete with rivals China and South Korea in building a 3D virtual world that – according to the promises – would open up new realms of economic prosperity and even potentially ease nagging social problems?
Will Fee
Altcoins
The stock price boost for tech giant Nvidia on the back of an AI chip boom has sent AI-related cryptocurrencies on a surge.
Will Fee
DAO Governance
Just how decentralized are today’s DAOs? When compared to the world’s largest transnational corporations, not so much, says Pat Rawson, co-founder of Web3 innovation network Curve Labs.
Will Fee
Regulation
Circle Vice President of Global Policy Corey Then says he is optimistic that U.S. regulatory developments can eventually benefit local players despite ongoing scrutiny.
Will Fee
Dapp Development
While the community might be small, there’s a growing buzz around Web3 in Japan, with overseas companies now taking note. For clues on how to make it big in the land of the rising sun, follow the lead of the nation’s largest firms, says Sebastien Guillemot, co-founder of Paima Studios.
Will Fee
Regulation
Japan was an early believer in blockchain and cryptocurrencies until exchange hacks brought a crackdown. But that was then. Now the government has become a crypto cheerleader.
Will Fee
Bitcoin News
The three-day NexTech Week trade show kicked off Wednesday in Tokyo, celebrating all things technology, including blockchain and Artificial Intelligence.
Will Fee
Bitcoin News
Skyrocketing activity has led to a surge in average Bitcoin transaction fees — which rose to US$31.15 as of March 8 — exerting increasing pressure on users in low- and middle- income economies including Bitcoin-reliant communities in El Salvador, the first country to implement mass adoption of the digital currency.
Will Fee
Regulation
In the second installment of a three-part interview series, Geoff Kendrick, head of crypto research and EM FX West at Standard Chartered Bank, talks altcoins, stablecoins and the legitimization of crypto risk through central bank digital assets.
Will Fee
