Crypto media outlet CoinDesk held its Consensus event in Hong Kong last month. In the run-up to the launch of the Haven1 mainnet, we met with key companies including exchanges, market makers, payment providers and others. We look forward to more details of our upcoming partnerships.

But first, we bring you insights from the show and the dozens of side events that took place around it.

Hong Kong Emerges as a Digital Asset Hub

Hong Kong is becoming a real digital asset hub—it’s competing with Singapore to be Asia’s top destination and is certainly on the global map as a key location.

During Consensus, the Hong Kong government took a central seat, with numerous executives speaking on the city’s commitment to digital assets.

Regulators have issued nine digital asset platform licenses, with a further eight under consideration. Hong Kong is also developing its stablecoin regulations and weighing the approval of derivatives and margin lending products for certain investors.

The appeal is obvious, with Chinese companies and money already a major part of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE). Digital assets can be a wholly complementary addition.

The fact that Hong Kong attracts a major event like Consensus is further validation of its growing status.

AI, Hyperliquid, and Other Hot Topics

Chatter at the show focused on Hyperliquid's new HyperEVM release and next-generation hardware like Airmoney Degn’s wallet.

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be the big buzz, with developers rapidly building and iterating blockchain-based agents and other AI solutions using the growing frameworks in the market. We’re still waiting to see a breakout project that expands beyond the walls of Web3, but the space is moving forward—and fast!

Stablecoins are a huge narrative in the industry right now. Institutions outside the traditional crypto ecosystem are using them to dip their toes in our ocean, as we’ve seen through our own partnerships with Worldpay.

Increased involvement from traditional financial institutions and other non-crypto native entities in markets like the US and Hong Kong is further boosting the potential of stablecoins. We see this trend reflected in our own product: Haven1 is designed for institutions to participate and explore the new financial opportunities of DeFi 2.0.

Sentiment Is Mixed Despite Positive Regulatory Progress

The event was also notable for its mixed sentiment.

Bitcoin is the bellwether for our industry, and while it is trading at more than 2x year-on-year, it remains below all-time highs from late 2025. Attendees we spoke to were bullish on BTC, but opinions varied on how the rest of the market will perform this year.

We believe increasing clarity from the US SEC provides long-term optimism, which will ultimately be hugely positive for the industry and the broader adoption of Web3 services and technology.

Event Season 2025 Starts Now

Unlike traditional tech events or trade shows, the crypto industry comes alive at side events, and Consensus Hong Kong did not disappoint. KOLs, builders, VCs, and others were out in full force to kick off the event season.

Many Consensus attendees went on to ETH Denver. Our next stops will be Token2049 in Dubai and SEA Blockchain Week in Bangkok.

We look forward to catching up with our community, partners, and Web3 frens. See you soon!