Securing an Innovation-Protection Balance for Blockchain in Southeast Asia

The growing ubiquity of blockchain technology in the region raises several questions regarding the creation of a safe environment for regional fintech innovation.

FREMONT, CA: Even after the recent collapse of the global cryptocurrency market, blockchain developments like crypto-assets and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are poised to reshape Southeast Asia's fintech sector. Regional governments have shown a willingness to make use of these developments so far, permitting the formation of multiple blockchain platforms with attractive funding as well as technological advancement. Governments have responded to the blockchain with a variety of regulatory approaches, particularly concerning criminal activities, in parallel with growth-friendly regulations. While the crypto ecosystem in Southeast Asia continues to grow, authorities are becoming more aware of the growing chances for criminal actors to exploit platform weaknesses through hacks, frauds, and scams.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore's recent guidelines on cryptocurrency advertising in public settings, for example, represent a growing recognition of the broader social concerns posed by blockchain, which, in turn, enable the growth of crypto-related crime. Southeast Asian governments face the unique difficulty of addressing these social dangers while confirming their commitment to fintech innovation amidst the current upheaval in the crypto sector, as consumers remain motivated to capitalise on blockchain's growing trend. Despite regulatory and price uncertainty, the region's prominence as one of the world's fastest-growing cryptocurrency markets adds to the challenge. As a result of the increased interest in blockchain technology, speculative investors have poured money into incomplete projects, making them particularly vulnerable to "rug pull" scams. The extent of the hype surrounding blockchain in Southeast Asia, on the other hand, is easily matched by the ubiquitousness of such scams. Despite recent data suggesting that global NFT popularity is diminishing, such as a drop in pricing and trade volumes, regional NFT adoption is expected to continue to rise. With some of the world's greatest NFT adoption rates now in place in Southeast Asia, regional users' concerns about missing out are fueling major cryptocurrency trends, regardless of the risk.

As a result of these changes, Southeast Asia has become more vulnerable to cryptocurrency crime. Nonetheless, many of blockchain's illicit applications, such as money laundering and terrorism financing, are mostly irrelevant to investors focused on maximising personal profits. Rather than strong investment principles, individuals' desire to ride the present wave of crypto-exuberance is driven by base instincts drives such as avarice. If consumers are apathetic or unaware of their susceptibility, ongoing efforts to combat bitcoin crime are likely to be ineffective. Southeast Asian demographics also reflect an ongoing paradigm change in investment, with younger investors being increasingly hesitant to invest in tangible assets with limited upside potential, in contrast to older investors' typical aversion to non-physical assets with higher negative risk. Following the crypto price drop, these opinions have mostly remained constant. For example, despite significant losses for many Singaporean investors in their 20s and 30s following the collapse of the popular Luna and TerraUSD stable coins, several users reiterated their intention to continue investing in cryptocurrencies, citing their potential – despite a loss of over USD 500,000 in their one case.

Beyond Singapore, the region's young, digitally literate society complements blockchain's appeal to libertarian and anti-establishment attitudes, resulting in a message that is social media-friendly. The current online information environment has a further impact on how users socially construct this emergent technology, magnifying and entrenching the above views. A comprehensive discussion on how regional consumers view the store of value in cryptocurrencies concerning other financial instruments is required to understand the growth of these emotions.