innovation

Recently, during the Hong Kong Web3 Festival, at the "CypherAsia Smart Crypto Finance Forum" hosted by institutions such as Fosun Wealth Holdings, FinChain, and exSat, guests including ME Group President Vito Luo, FinChain CTO Lance Liu, SBVA Executive Director Wang Yinzhen, Solana Foundation Solutions Architect Mike Ma, Copilot Venture Studio Co-founder Yang Linyuan, and NeoSoul Co-founder Kaelan discussed the development trends of AI and crypto finance.During the forum, NeoSoul Co-founder Kaelan stated that the AI industry is still in the early stages of rapid evolution. When evaluating AI projects, it is important to look not only at the current products but also at whether the team can continuously keep up with the changes in the underlying model capabilities.Kaelan pointed out that AI entrepreneurship requires both groundedness and vision. Groundedness means that the team must have the ability to implement engineering, design products, and understand the market to create perceivable products; vision means that the team should build in line with the evolution of large models.He believes that some early AI products may seem like toys, but in emerging industries, the existence of toy-like forms should be allowed. Many truly new paradigms often first appear as experimental products.

Paul Atkins, the Chairman of the SEC, delivered a speech on the first anniversary of his inauguration at the Washington Economic Club, stating that the SEC is advancing reforms to the regulatory framework for digital assets and incorporating it into the "A - C - T" strategy, which aims to modernize regulation, clarify regulatory boundaries, and reshape the rule system.Regarding crypto assets, the SEC has released a classification system for crypto tokens, dividing digital assets into five categories, four of which do not fall under securities. It indicated that the SEC is about to launch an "innovation exemption" mechanism to provide a limited framework for market participants to conduct tokenized securities trading on-chain in a compliant manner, and has initiated Project Crypto to adapt securities rules and regulatory systems to the trend of capital markets moving on-chain.Additionally, the SEC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the CFTC last month to unify key definitions, clarify regulatory jurisdictions, and coordinate joint regulatory matters, including digital assets. Paul Atkins also stated that the previous regulatory approach to crypto assets in the U.S. had led to innovation activities flowing overseas.

South Korean crypto venture capital firm Hashed Ventures announced that it has secured an investment of 3 billion KRW (2.2 million USD), with participation from Hecto Innovation and Hecto Financial under the Hecto Group. The new funds will be injected into Hashed Ventures' "Hashed Venture Investment Fund No. 3," focusing on supporting new businesses such as digital asset wallets and stablecoin payment settlements.

ChainCatcher reported live that Li Guoquan, Dean of the Global Fintech Academy, Hong Kong Legislative Council member (Technology and Innovation Sector) Kenneth Lau, Chief Public Mission Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport, Chan Sze Yuen, and Executive Director of the Japan Virtual Currency Exchange Association (JVCEA) & Japan Crypto Asset Business Association, Koji Takeda, attended the HK Web3 Feastival roundtable discussion, focusing on "Balancing Regulation and Innovation to Co-build a Sustainable Asian Digital Financial Ecosystem."Kenneth Lau stated that the legislative process has been significantly advanced, and he hopes to see innovation-driven developments next, exploring how to leave space for new products and business models while improving the regulatory framework. He cited the startup exemption mechanism in U.S. legislation as an example, emphasizing the importance of a nurturing environment for innovation. He also pointed out that the Hong Kong stock market currently does not allow for a market maker system, and the liquidity provision rules in virtual asset trading will be addressed in legislative discussions within the year. Regarding prediction markets, he personally believes that Hong Kong currently does not have the conditions to open them.Chan Sze Yuen introduced that Cyberport launched a pilot subsidy program for blockchain and digital assets last year, with nine projects participating, more than half of which involve RWA tokenization, aiming to promote projects from proof of concept to commercialization. He stated that Cyberport has gathered over 300 Web3 companies from 19 countries and regions, emphasizing that trusted digital identity (KYC/AML compliance) is the foundation for scaling RWA and payment projects, while secondary market liquidity determines whether tokenized assets can become real market products.Koji Takeda revealed that the Financial Services Agency (FSA) of Japan submitted a new bill to the Diet on April 10, proposing to move the regulation of crypto assets from the Financial Services Act to the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, which means the government officially recognizes the investment attributes of crypto assets, marking a significant shift. He also pointed out that Japan had previously seen over 200 companies relocate to places like Singapore due to strict regulations, but recently, through adjustments to corporate tax systems and discussions on personal crypto tax reforms, companies are gradually returning.Host Li Guoquan summarized that the various jurisdictions in Asia are not in competition but are part of the same ecosystem. Excessive compliance costs may push quality institutions into gray areas, and how to lower compliance thresholds in regulatory dialogues and promote responsible innovation is a common challenge facing the Asian digital financial ecosystem.

ChainCatcher reported live that the Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, Chan Ho Lam, delivered a keynote speech at the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival. He pointed out that Hong Kong has developed into the third global financial center index and the first international financial center in Asia, providing a solid foundation for Web3 innovation.He stated that the digital asset development policy declaration 2.0 released last year proposed the LEAP framework, which covers four pillars: optimizing legal regulation (L), expanding the variety of tokenized products (E), promoting application scenarios and cross-border cooperation (A), and developing talent and partnerships (P).He revealed that there are currently over 10 licensed trading platforms in Hong Kong, and the Monetary Authority has issued the first two stablecoin issuer licenses this month. The SAR government issued the third batch of tokenized green bonds last year, which is the largest scale globally, and is actively formulating regulatory systems for digital asset trading service providers and custodial service providers.

Crypto Council for Innovation announced the acquisition of Digital Energy Council, marking its first expansion into the energy policy sector.Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI) is a global industry advocacy organization, with members including several cryptocurrency and fintech companies, primarily promoting digital asset regulation, technological innovation, and policy communication, dedicated to building bridges between government and industry. Previously, the organization played an important role in U.S. policy lobbying. Digital Energy Council focuses on energy issues related to the digital economy, particularly the impact of cryptocurrency mining, data centers, and high-performance computing (HPC) on power systems, with core concerns about energy supply, grid stability, and national security. Following this integration, the energy sector will focus on promoting policy directions, including energy development, grid resilience, U.S. competitiveness, and critical infrastructure security.

The chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Mike Selig, announced the first members of the newly established Innovation Working Group, aimed at providing clear industry rules for American innovators. The working group is led by Mike Selig's senior advisor, Michael Passalacqua, and the first five members include former Latham & Watkins crypto lawyer Hank Balaban, former Patomak crypto and prediction markets advisor Sam Canavos, CFTC legal senior official Mark Fajfar, former Sidley blockchain lawyer Eugene Gonzalez IV, and CFTC Market Participants Division special advisor Dina Moussa.In addition, Mike Selig also released an Innovation Tracker, highlighting the agency's work in advancing regulatory clarity, market integrity, and technological progress, with a primary focus on areas including cryptocurrency and blockchain, AI and autonomous systems, contracts and prediction markets.

The Blockchain Association submitted a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in response to Citadel's previous call for increased regulation of DeFi.The Blockchain Association stated that DeFi protocol developers do not fall under the category of brokers or exchange operators and should not be included in the regulatory framework designed for traditional financial intermediaries. The organization also urged the SEC to advance an "innovation exemption" mechanism to provide regulatory pilot space for on-chain assets and tokenized securities, pointing out that the comprehensive rule-making process is lengthy, which may delay the implementation of technology and lead to innovation outflow. Previously, Citadel had suggested that the SEC strengthen regulation of DeFi through formal legislative processes.

Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, has raised strong doubts about the U.S. Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act, believing that the bill could bring long-term negative impacts in terms of implementation, political risk, and industry structure.Hoskinson stated that even if the bill passes, it may require up to 15 years for rule-making and implementation, leading to a long-term stagnation of the industry amid uncertainty. He pointed out that the current political environment in the U.S. (especially after the FTX incident) has tightened regulations, and new projects may be defaulted to be considered securities, thereby stifling innovation. He further warned that the bill could be "weaponized" by future administrations, becoming a political tool, with different parties potentially using its provisions to target specific projects or industry participants.In addition, Hoskinson criticized the bill for its complex design and being overly "U.S.-centric," neglecting global regulatory coordination while focusing too much on marginal issues like stablecoin yields, failing to address the core problems of the industry. He believes that this structural design may actually benefit mature projects (such as Cardano, XRP, Ethereum) but create higher barriers for newcomers, further exacerbating the trend of industry centralization.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated that the company has established an internal venture capital program called "Next Bets," which allows employees to submit innovative projects and pitch directly to product leaders, and can proceed with implementation as long as they receive support. The program opens for proposals twice a year, typically executed by small teams of 2 to 3 people, focusing on high-potential directions.Armstrong mentioned that this mechanism aims to reduce the loss of excellent ideas and talent, inspired by historical cases in the tech industry. It was introduced that the Base blockchain project originated from this program, and more related developments will be announced in the coming weeks.

Yili Hua posted on platform X, stating that the current cryptocurrency market is in a bear market and the war is not over, lacking a significant rebound. The performance of the cryptocurrency sector over the past four years has been disappointing, with the crypto middle class, retail investors, and VCs all being harvested, while exchanges, market makers, and project teams continue to siphon off funds. Currently, the market's capital inflow mainly comes from Wall Street ETFs, DAT, and a few believers, and there has been no disruptive innovation in the cryptocurrency sector yet.

According to Cointelegraph, Michael Selig, the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), stated that bringing "real" cryptocurrency perpetual futures back to the United States is a key component of the agency's innovation policy agenda.

According to The Block, as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) prepares to launch a tokenized asset innovation exemption program, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on March 25 titled "The Future of Tokenization and Securities: Modernizing Capital Markets."Republican Congressman Andy Barr stated that the tokenization of securities is an inevitable trend, and the U.S. needs to lead this process while protecting investors. Some Democratic lawmakers expressed concerns that the innovation exemption might weaken core securities regulation.SEC Chairman Paul Atkins stated that the agency will soon seek public input on a range of issues related to future rulemaking, including a proposed innovation exemption that could serve as a regulatory sandbox for on-chain assets. Additionally, according to crypto journalist Eleanor Terrett, Paul Atkins indicated that the long-awaited tokenization innovation exemption could be introduced in the coming weeks.

Stijn Vander Straeten, CEO of Crypto Finance under Deutsche Börse, stated that traditional banks are at least 5 years behind crypto-native platforms in terms of DeFi innovation. Large institutions typically wait for regulatory frameworks to be clarified before entering related markets, so the full adoption of DeFi by banks may still take 5 to 10 years.He pointed out that crypto platforms have already offered features such as weekend trading and instant settlement, while the traditional financial system is still constrained by outdated infrastructure like T+2 settlement.

The Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Michael S. Selig, announced the establishment of an Innovation Working Group aimed at developing clear regulatory rules for innovators creating new products and technologies in the U.S. derivatives market.This Innovation Working Group will collaborate with the Innovation Advisory Committee to advance the development of a clear regulatory framework, focusing on three areas: (i) crypto assets and blockchain technology; (ii) artificial intelligence and autonomous systems; and (iii) prediction markets and event contracts.The responsibilities of the working group include advancing the Commission's innovation agenda and collaborating with federal agencies and departments, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and its cryptocurrency working group, to promote various innovation initiatives. The working group will be led by the Chairman's Senior Advisor, Michael J. Passalacqua.

According to Jinshi Data, the Shanghai Stock Exchange has accepted the IPO application of Yushu Technology Co., Ltd. for the Sci-Tech Innovation Board, with a proposed financing amount of 4.202 billion yuan.

F2Pool co-founder Wang Chun expressed on the X platform regarding the BIP-110 controversy that Bitcoin should not be sanctified and criticized some Bitcoin extremists for hindering technological innovation.He pointed out that some supporters view attempts at scaling or functional improvements as "altcoin attacks," using moral accusations to cover up a lack of innovation, transforming Bitcoin from an economic concept into a system with ideological overtones. Wang Chun stated that in the context of the continuous development of DeFi, privacy, and payment infrastructure, Bitcoin should not become a system that is "too rigid to evolve."

Hester M. Peirce, a commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, stated that a research initiative for a "regulatory exemption" for tokenized securities has been launched, allowing limited trading and technical experimentation for certain tokenized securities. This exemption plan will be more cautious than the "comprehensive exemption" proposed by the industry.She believes it is worth exploring whether different types of tokenization models for securities can be tested under the innovation exemption framework and whether issuer consent is needed for third parties to issue tokenized versions of their stocks, in order to promote technological innovation while avoiding regulatory arbitrage and maintaining core investor protection mechanisms.Hester M. Peirce also emphasized that regulators should not overly interfere with private capital allocation. The SEC is currently assessing several key issues, including: whether the existing information disclosure system is sufficient to cover the ownership structure of tokenized securities, the disclosure obligations of brokers and clearing agencies in the issuance of tokenized securities, the compatibility of atomic settlement with the current T+1 settlement rules, and the applicability of regulatory authority in the absence of intermediaries or under new intermediary structures.