GroundX to Bring NFT Activities to 2023 Seoul Light Hangang Bitseom Festival

Thailand’s Incoming Prime Minister Signals Crypto EmbraceIn a recent parliamentary decision on August 22, real estate magnate Srettha Thavisin emerged as Thailand’s forthcoming Prime Minister. Thavisin, acclaimed for his prior role as the CEO of Sansiri — one of Thailand’s major real estate developers — has a history entwined with the cryptocurrency sector, hinting at potential ramifications for the nation’s crypto landscape.Photo by Markus Winkler on UnsplashParliamentary selection winThe appointment came under the banner of the Pheu Thai Party, with Thavisin securing 482 votes out of 747 in the parliamentary endorsement.Thavisin’s ascent to power could potentially herald a significant shift in Thailand’s approach to cryptocurrencies, leveraging his involvement with Sansiri’s foray into the digital asset domain. Departing from his role as Sansiri’s CEO in April, Thavisin relinquished his 4.4% stake in the company, setting the stage for him to pursue a career in politics.Crypto firm investmentSansiri, under Thavisin’s leadership, undertook active participation in the country’s digital asset arena. Notably, in 2021, the company participated in a substantial $225 million fundraising round for XSpring Capital, a crypto-friendly investment management firm. This strategic partnership paved the way for XSpring to launch a fully integrated cryptocurrency trading platform in 2022, with aspirations to establish a presence among the top crypto exchange companies by 2025.Thavisin’s impact on the crypto sector goes beyond investment. His company also introduced the “SiriHub Token” via XSpring in 2022, presenting a real estate-backed initial coin offering (ICO) that extended 240 million tokens to the public. This duality of involvement from crypto firm investment to token issuance, demonstrates that the new Thai premier has not been afraid to get involved with crypto innovation at an early stage.Crypto airdrop proposalIt appears that Thavisin’s affinity for cryptocurrency transcends corporate endeavors, as his political affiliation with the Pheu Thai Party, which he joined in November 2022, introduced a novel proposition. The party proposed disbursing 10,000 Thai baht (approximately $300) to citizens, executed through digital currency transactions. The synergy between his cryptocurrency background and this proposal raises questions about the potential influence of his past on Thailand’s future crypto policies.As Thavisin’s administration prepares to assume office by the end of September, the extent to which his crypto engagement shapes the nation’s policies remains a topic of speculation. However, the confluence of his real estate expertise and cryptocurrency ventures offers a unique blend of experiences that might foster innovative approaches.Notably, Thavisin’s journey isn’t the sole instance of Thailand’s government engaging with the crypto industry. Earlier in 2023, Thailand’s cabinet introduced tax breaks for companies issuing investment tokens. These measures, announced in March, aim to generate 128 billion baht ($3.7 billion) from investment token offerings over the next two years.Political importanceThavisin’s perceived embrace of cryptocurrency in Thailand comes at a time when crypto and blockchain innovation is being supported by political candidates in multiple jurisdictions. In the United States, the Republican Party is holding a debate on Wednesday between its eight candidates for the presidential nomination, with several of them being pro-crypto.On the Democratic Party side, Robert F. Kennedy is pro-bitcoin, having recently stated that bitcoin is an exercise in extending civil liberty. Meanwhile, in Argentina, Javier Milei, a libertarian pro-bitcoin candidate, topped the poll in the country’s recent presidential primary.

JPYC Inc., the issuer and operator of the Japanese yen stablecoin JPYC, announced it is set to raise 1.78 billion yen ($11.4 million) in a funding round led by Asteria Corporation. The proceeds will be used to upgrade systems and applications, expand the company's workforce, and bolster services related to the issuance, redemption, and settlement of its stablecoin.  The firm also plans to explore new business opportunities through strategic investments as stablecoins shift from early-stage experimentation to wider commercial use. Currently available on Avalanche, Ethereum, and Polygon, JPYC intends to add support for additional blockchain networks and broaden its use cases.Photo by Possessed Photography on UnsplashUniversities ramp up blockchain trainingSeparately, blockchain education initiatives are advancing in Japanese academia. The Endowed Chair for Blockchain Innovation at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Engineering will launch a new blockchain application practice program in the 2026 academic year. The hands-on track will complement the university's existing public lecture series.  The program will bring together students from diverse fields—including finance, cryptography, art, and product design—to collaborate on practical projects. Interdisciplinary teams will develop new concepts, with selected groups eligible for an entrepreneurship support initiative starting in September. Organizers noted the program aims to cultivate advanced talent while remaining platform-neutral. These developments coincide with the Japanese government’s broader push to integrate digital assets into the financial sector. In a video message at the “MoneyX 2026” crypto and Web3 conference on Feb. 27, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama stated that the government is advancing efforts to support the broader adoption of stablecoins and tokenized deposits.  According to CoinPost, Katayama indicated the Financial Services Agency (FSA) will back pilot projects under its payment platform (PP) initiative in the securities settlement sector. These projects will test recording the transfer of rights for government bonds, corporate bonds, and equities on blockchain infrastructure, linking settlements to stablecoin payments.  New crypto bureauKatayama also announced plans to launch a new FSA bureau dedicated to digital financial assets as early as this summer, significantly expanding the agency’s organizational capacity. She urged industry participants to leverage the PP framework, particularly for regulatory interpretation support during proof-of-concept trials. Meanwhile, Hong Kong authorities are signaling further policy measures to strengthen the city’s crypto investment landscape. In his latest budget speech, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the number of single-family offices in the city has exceeded 3,300 and outlined plans to refine the tax regime—including for digital assets—to attract more capital. The proposed revisions would expand the scope of what qualifies as a "fund," bringing certain single-investor vehicles under the definition. The changes would also classify digital assets, precious metals, and specific commodities as eligible investments for tax incentives. The government plans to table an amendment bill in the first half of the year, targeting implementation in the 2025/26 year of assessment.

Korbit Passes Post-Audit for ISMS-P and ISO CertificationsSouth Korean crypto exchange Korbit announced on Wednesday that it has successfully passed a post-audit to maintain its Personal Information and Information Security Management System (ISMS-P) certification and four different International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certifications — ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, and ISO27701.“By maintaining our ISMS-P and ISO certifications this year, we were able to reaffirm the stability and trustworthiness of Korbit’s personal information protection capabilities and security management system,” said Oh Se-jin, CEO of Korbit.Photo by FLY:D on UnsplashRigorous criteriaThe ISMS-P is a security management system jointly operated by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Personal Information Protection Commission, representing the highest level of security management in Korea. It combines 80 requirements for Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification and 22 requirements for Personal Information Management System (PIMS) certification, totaling 102 requirements that must be met. Once obtained, certification is valid for three years, and annual post-audits are required to maintain its validity.Korbit first obtained ISMS-P certification in September of 2021 and has once again passed this year’s post-audit that was conducted last Wednesday.Meeting international standardsIn addition, the exchange had previously passed post-audits for four ISO certifications related to information protection and personal information management systems earlier in June. This includes ISO 27001 for information security management systems, ISO 27017 for information security controls on cloud services, ISO 27018 for protection of personally identifiable information (PII) in public clouds, and ISO 27701 for privacy information management systems.This achievement demonstrates Korbit’s commitment to reliability and security when operating and managing exchange services.“As a crypto exchange, we will continually focus on strict security management to ensure the protection of customer information and assets,” said CEO Oh.