Crypto catastrophes of the past year and a half have reverberated across the world, testing the faith and shaking the foundations of our young industry. From Terra/Luna to FTX to Haru Invest, each collapse has progressively undercut confidence everywhere, but perhaps most emphatically within the crypto hotbeds of East Asia.
One can feel the gloom and doom in Korea, and yet the show goes on. Emotions are one thing, but business is business. Korea Blockchain Week just concluded in Seoul, and TOKEN2049 is now underway in Singapore. Early estimates point toward record attendance for both events. A rocky year of scandalous headlines notwithstanding, entrepreneurs and titans of the cryptosphere are still convening in the digital epicenters of Asia during the month of September.
Some investors go into hiding after a season like the one we’ve had. Others keep grinding, convinced that each bump in the road is actually a signal that helpfully spotlights where more innovation is needed. Two things seem like sure bets. One, the path ahead may be difficult but the path will assuredly be blazed. And two, Korea will remain an alpha nation—perhaps the alpha nation—of the blockchain revolution.
