Opinion

Ethereum’s completion of its much anticipated ‘Merge’ this week will unlikely improve the network’s long-term speed or scalability, writes Mark Lurie of Shipyard Software. Why is this so, and why will it still be good for innovation?

Ethereum has long grappled with centralization, which the Merge will unlikely address in a meaningful way, writes Daniel Dizon of Swell Network.

Interoperability is a key characteristic for the metaverse to be useful, writes Dr. Dimitry Mihaylov of National Univ. of Singapore. But the technology and laws are still lacking.

Bitcoin is the most secure blockchain, and Ethereum’s proof-of-stake move will expose it to more security risks, writes Jagdeep Sidhu of Syscoin Network.

Axie Infinity’s decline shows that earning can’t be everything, writes Riaz Lalani of Gambit Games. What went wrong with P2E and what can we learn from it?

The collapse of Celsius and Anchor wasn’t a failure of DeFi, writes Kaaran Kalantari of WingRiders. They failed to assess risk, and crypto Darwinism took shape.

Google earns hundreds of billions annually by monetizing its users. Can blockchain return meaningful control over personal data back to the people?

Crypto investors were blindsided when firms like Voyager suddenly froze their accounts. How can we improve digital asset protection in the future?

Women foster a better environment for innovation and are sober with money — which is what the industry needs, writes Gracy Chen of Bitget.

The $65-billion event ticketing industry is riddled with skulduggery, but NFT technology can transform it for the common good, writes Josh Katz of Yellowheart.

Real estate as an investment is not very liquid, composable or accessible, writes Joel Lin of CitaDAO. Can tokenization and DeFi transform this market?

The Merge, one of this year’s biggest crypto events, is now due to happen next month. Why is it so hotly anticipated — and feared?

The decentralized finance sector is now a fraction of its former self. What will help companies survive this bear market and emerge stronger?

Virtual worlds currently exist in silos, and there is no easy way to communicate between ecosystems — which limits their value, writes Witek Radomski of Enjin.

Regulatory compliance will be critical to improving crypto’s ‘Wild West’ image and public acceptance, writes Karen Er and Benjamin Bai of Amber Group. Here’s why.

Crypto’s volatility may be top of mind right now, but blockchain’s practical uses will be the industry’s future, writes Johannes Schweifer of CoreLedger.

The crypto world is plagued by products that are hard to use and have little utility, writes Roman Kashcheev of Quantfury. What can turn things around?

Singapore is growing its digital assets industry while reducing risks, and its clear regulations allow firms to better plan for the future, writes Desmond Yong of DTC.

2022’s marquee NFT event in America’s biggest city failed to capitalize on its namesake technology, while an iconic music festival in the California desert understood the possibilities, writes Mirwan Suwarso of Mola TV.

As wages stagnate and prices spiral, crypto offers investment and growth opportunities unmatched by the traditional financial system, writes Tarik Moon, CEO of Alpine.

A stolen painting may be lost forever, but a fraudulent Bitcoin transaction — with these legal strategies and tracing tools — can lead right to the criminal.

Europe’s Digital Markets Act will soon take power over personal data away from Big Tech and give it back to the people. How can data cooperatives help?

Despite the bleak macro outlook, more institutions are looking to gain exposure to the DeFi sector, writes Robert Alcorn of Clearpool. Here’s why.

The crypto world is consumed by a spiritual battle between its believers and haters, and it is in need of a rebirth and new identity, writes Prof. Yanto Chandra of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

As the Celsius bankruptcy shows, moving to decentralized ways to hold crypto is not only sensible, it’s what Satoshi envisioned all along, writes Ruben Merre, CEO and cofounder of NGRAVE.

The metaverse of the future will transform how we work and our sense of self — and what we see now is only scratching the surface, writes Eaven Portillo.

As a world leader, the US now offers a regulatory template for crypto that others are sure to follow, writes Michael Shing of XREX. Here are the key provisions.

Digital assets are powering new industries, and DeFi will be the financial system of the future internet economy, writes Alex Tapscott in his new book, ‘Digital Asset Revolution.’

The ‘Merge’ will have a major impact on the Ethereum ecosystem and beyond, and getting it right is more important than speed, writes Kevin Loo of IDEG.

Singapore wants to attract institutional capital while shielding its people from crypto — but it can’t have it both ways, writes Donovan Choy.

BTC remains a safe haven for investors for the long term amid this year’s soaring inflation and market volatility, writes Josef Tětek of SatoshiLabs.

Decentralized autonomous organizations are spinning off new ways to bring communities together. Will ecosystem DAOs be the wave of the future?

Bad mortgages once dragged the world into a financial crisis. Can smart contracts prevent the worst from happening again?

Notwithstanding this bear market, Web3’s more pressing issue is its inability to handle large volumes, writes Greg Gopman. Can sidechains offer a solution?

Lack of public trust remain a big barrier to crypto adoption, writes Tristan Roozendaal. Here’s why regulators should ‘move fast and break things.’

Harmony’s Horizon cross-chain bridge is now the third of its kind to suffer a major hack this year. What are the alternatives that may be more secure?

The legal and ethical dilemmas plaguing technology today will only grow more acute in the metaverse, writes Brian Harley. How will real-world laws apply?

Terra UST’s crash and burn is prompting calls for regulations. But lawmakers shouldn’t paint all stablecoins with the same brush, writes Alan Chiu.

Celsius and Babel Finance’s freezing of customer accounts highlights the risks of intermediaries, writes Nick Saponaro. Crypto users should take back control.

More than a passing fad, NFTs can empower philanthropic organizations in ways never thought possible before, writes Nick Lynch of Collidescope.io.

Terra’s LUNA/UST death spiral was entirely predictable — and it served as a stress test for better-designed stablecoins, writes Gytis Trilikauskis of MEV Capital.

As the internet fractures into silos degraded by censorship and disinformation, DAOs and public blockchains may offer ways to restore trust.

An open and interoperable metaverse economy will drive consumer activity — and it’s on a similar track for growth as e-commerce, writes Ben Caselin of AAX.

Is El Salvador committing a major blunder in making Bitcoin legal tender — or finding its way out of the hell of dollarization? Bryan Hernandez explains.

The downturn is forcing Web3 firms into a reset — and opening opportunities for Web2 entrepreneurs to enter the playing field, writes Lily Z. King of Cobo.

The Fed’s new No. 2 is ahead of the curve in her thinking — which bodes well for crypto’s future around the world, writes a former colleague of Brainard.

The right balance of regulations can better protect gaming companies’ intellectual property as well as players’ assets, writes Henry Chang of Wemade.

Financial literacy is a life skill that is often neither taught at school nor home, writes Grace ‘Ori’ Kwan of Orca. How can we close this knowledge gap?

Fueled by seismic shifts in societal values, decentralized autonomous organizations are now poised to go mainstream, writes Hannes Graah of Gro.

Governments around the world are racing to develop their own digital currencies, but an e-HKD may not make sense for Hong Kong’s people. John Mitchell of Episode Six explains why Hong Kong is unique.

Terra’s LUNA and UST implosion is dragging down an already ailing market. What do other developments suggest about crypto’s long-term future?

Solana’s $325M Wormhole breach and Axie Infinity’s $600M Ronin hack laid bare the security risks of cross-chain bridges. What are the solutions?

In a special op-ed, 2 former CFTC chiefs and a crypto executive make the case for why the US must prioritize policies that support the new Web3 economy.

Terra’s LUNA and UST stablecoin implosions are roiling the crypto world and beyond. Picking up the pieces won’t be easy — nor finding a good path forward.

The future world will run on digital money—the most trusted being Bitcoin, writes André Neves of Zebedee. Here’s how gaming can bring BTC to the masses.

The ‘virtual land’ sale that broke Ethereum was also a fiasco for buyers. Should Yuga Labs have seen it coming and taken preventative action?

Tokenizing capital markets could offer greater efficiency and liquidity. How would that work in Hong Kong’s regulatory environment?

Gen Z is already keen on metaverse real estate. Will using DeFi to finance property deals — in the real or virtual world — be the next frontier?

Blockchain can save time, money and reams of paperwork, writes Tim Bailey of Red Date Technology. But its future in global trade remains uncertain.

What are ‘machine NFTs’ and how could they help democratize the ownership of capital in a future ‘machine economy’? Max Thake of peaq explains.

Young investors demand more accessibility, transparency and accountability than traders of yore, writes Joe Jowett of StrikeX. What are the solutions?

Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover isn’t really about free speech, writes Ben Armstrong, aka BitBoy Crypto. It’s an attempt to push you out of Bitcoin and sell your data.

NFT in gaming is not only for play-to-earn, writes Nicholas Douzinas of Ajuna Network. It should also be fun and foster human connections.

Tokenizing an asset allows its trading to be faster and cheaper, writes Oi-Yee Choo of ADDX. It can also broaden opportunities for small investors.

Can blockchain embody the values of Earth Day? Consider its growing role in ESG and the energy-efficiency of newer crypto, writes Eddie Hui of MVGX.

In the short history of DeFi, bridge hacks have accounted for an enormous amount of stolen funds, writes Joshua Tobkin. What can stop these attacks?

NFT technology became famous for $69 million digital art, but what will change the world are its myriad practical uses, writes Jan Hartmann of Banxa Labs.

The metaverse promises to radically change how we work, play and do business. How do we avoid its real-world security risks and pitfalls?

Providing access to global customers and higher income, NFTs are changing lives in some of the poorest places in the world, writes Katherine Ng.

Crypto market downturns can dredge up bad memories of ICOs. What lessons can investors learn from the past — and how is Bitcoin different?

Would gamers and developers still feel disdain for NFTs if companies used blockchain technology differently? Will Deane explores the possibilities.

Unregulated and fragmented, DeFi remains niche, writes John Mitchell of Episode Six. Here’s how programmable money can help banks do what decentralized finance is doing.