With capital tightening, investors are backing “what’s working,” like stablecoins and tokenization, while selectively betting on AI and prediction markets.
"The human brain is better at taking the imaginative leap to understand the unknown ... We should enjoy it for a couple more years."
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen says AI trading apps are like interns for now; soon they will be full time employees.
Moving away from overhyped GPU marketplaces and large AI model alternatives towards purpose-built, full-stack solutions is the goal.
Hong Kong is looking to build its digital assets economy, its leaders said on stage.
Last week’s downturn was driven by yen carry trades and macro leverage, highlighting how deeply digital assets are now tied to traditional markets, panelists at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 said.
Tokenized funds and deposits are edging toward the mainstream, though regulation, infrastructure and security remain obstacles.
During an interview at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, Joseph Lubin argued that "blue chip" decentralized finance has reached parity with traditional banking.
Non-participation in decentralized finance is becoming a career risk for traditional finance professionals, panellists said.
Rules are required to ensure DeFi projects grow and mature, which means they need layers of centralization before becoming truly decentralized.
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Robinhood’s Johann Kerbrat took the stage along with Bullish CEO Tom Farley to speak of his platform's views on stablecoin yields and traditional financial systems.
Crypto asset specialists must figure out how to match tokenization hype to real-world utility, Securitize's Graham Ferguson said.
Hong Kong will begin issuing a small number of stablecoin licenses to companies with credible business models and strong compliance, Paul Chan Mo-po said.
Thomas Lee, speaking on stage at Hong Kong Consensus 2026, said investors should be looking at opportunities as crypto is in the midst of a "mini winter."
The BitMine chairman said at Hong Kong Consensus 2026 that MrBeast acquiring neobank Step could win over a new generation of investors to crypto.
Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission will publish a "high-level framework" allowing perpetual contracts, SFC CEO Julia Leung said.
The NYSE owner’s CoinDesk index futures began trading Monday. Attention now shifts to planned USDC rate futures tied to onchain borrowing costs.
From treasuries and funds today to equities and private assets tomorrow.
Fireside chat with Michael Lau spotlights finance focus, Asia's centrality, and revenue-driven growth
Scaramucci noted that SkyBridge has been purchasing bitcoin at various price points, including around $84,000, $63,000 and in the current lower range.
The government will continue to support a local crypto/Web3 agenda, Chief Executive John KC Lee said at Consensus.
Consensus Hong Kong kicks off on Wednesday with speeches from the city's chief executive and the head of its markets regulator.
The CoinDesk crew is back in Hong Kong, with policymakers and policy-users alike.
The Hong Kong lawmaker and Web3 advocate said common law, open capital flows and ties to southern China give the city a unique role in global crypto markets.
The Deus X CEO discussed his journey into digital assets, the company's infrastructure-led growth strategy, and why his Consensus Hong Kong panel promises "real talk only."
The Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a financial infrastructure, Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante told CoinDesk.
Agora CEO Nick van Eck sees stablecoin adoption shifting to real-world business for cross-border payments.
Maple Finance CEO Sidney Powell said blockchain’s biggest opportunity isn’t tokenized Treasury bills or funds — instead, it’s bringing opaque, illiquid private credit markets onchain.
With the political hype fading, Siu argues crypto’s next phase will be shaped less by personalities and more by infrastructure, regulation and who actually uses the technology.
Ahead of Consensus Hong Kong, Auros’ Jason Atkins says market depth, not hype, will determine crypto’s next phase.