Top

Crypto emerges as topic in Indonesian election campaign

Policy & Regulation·December 20, 2023, 12:25 AM

As Indonesia gears up for its upcoming presidential election, the country’s crypto market has become a focal point for political discourse. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, a vice presidential candidate and the eldest son of President Joko Widodo, recently unveiled his plans to foster expertise in blockchain and crypto within the Southeast Asian nation.

Chosen as the running mate for presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, the 36-year-old politician aims to elevate tech education in Indonesia, opening avenues for the younger generation, particularly in the realm of digital assets. According to a report by Indonesian online news portal detikNews, while speaking at a political gathering on Dec. 10, Gibran asserted:

“We are preparing blockchain experts, we are preparing cyber security experts, we are preparing crypto experts.”

Photo by Nick Agus Arya on Unsplash

 

Crypto potential

Indonesia has emerged as being ahead of the curve in terms of crypto adoption, ranking seventh on Chainalysis’ 2023 global crypto adoption index. With an estimated 18 million crypto investors, the country boasts a robust industry association that also functions as a self-regulatory body.

Local news media reported in October that the Southeast Asian country has seen a 10.1% year-on-year increase in the number of crypto investors. At the time, Tirta Karma Senjaya, Head of the Commodity Futures Trading Regulatory Agency, said, "Growth in the number of crypto investors in Indonesia continues to increase, but investors are still looking for the right time to buy crypto.”

Private sector entities have also identified the raw potential. In the same month, Web3 consulting firm Tiger Research, in partnership with South Korean crypto data platform Xangle, produced a report which identified significant potential for the development of Indonesia’s Web3 market. There are over 30 crypto exchanges operating in the country, acting as the primary channel through which growth in crypto is propelled in Indonesia.

 

Capitalizing on crypto interest

The government, under President Widodo, has actively sought to capitalize on this crypto enthusiasm, going as far as establishing a local “stock market” dedicated to crypto assets.

Gibran’s proactive stance on crypto education aligns with his broader vision of positioning Indonesia at the forefront of the global digital revolution. The country’s rapidly growing tech landscape and crypto adoption make it an opportune space for fostering expertise in these cutting-edge technologies.

As the presidential election approaches, Gibran’s commitment to cultivating a pool of crypto experts underscores the potential influence of the crypto industry in shaping Indonesia’s economic future.

 

An international topic

Crypto is increasingly becoming an important topic in elections globally. In the United States, many of the presidential candidates, particularly within the Republican Party, have publicly expressed their interest in crypto and blockchain. Yesterday, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse took to the X social media platform on the subject, stating:

”Team @Ripple is putting a stake in the ground, leading the charge with other industry leaders to support pro-innovation and pro-crypto candidates in the 2024 US election cycle. The US cannot afford to continue taking a back seat on the global stage.“

With Indonesia’s election frontrunners, Prabowo and Gibran, expressing interest in the sector, it remains to be seen how this focus on crypto will resonate in the upcoming political debate on Feb. 4.

More to Read
View All
Web3 & Enterprise·

Oct 27, 2023

Rotonda and Hancom Frontis Join Forces for Web3 Ecosystem Growth

Rotonda and Hancom Frontis Join Forces for Web3 Ecosystem GrowthRotonda, the subsidiary of Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb and the operator of cryptocurrency wallet platform Burrito Wallet, has recently announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hancom Frontis. This strategic partnership is geared towards accelerating the growth of the Web3 ecosystem.Photo by Shubham’s Web3 on Unsplash3D metaverse platformIn April, Hancom Frontis officially launched a 3D metaverse platform known as a:rz META. This platform offers a wide array of services, including virtual meetings, online education, and telemedicine, all facilitated by the integration of blockchain-powered digital assets.With the introduction of a:rz META, Hancom Frontis has shifted its focus to Web3-based businesses. The company aims to expand its user base globally through a series of gradual updates.Fostering mutual growthThrough this partnership, both entities are set to embark on several collaborative initiatives aimed at fostering mutual growth. These efforts include sharing resources like personnel, materials, and information, as well as strengthening their business networks. They will jointly engage in research and development of blockchain-based services and work towards enhancing policies for these offerings.Shin Min-cheol, CEO of Burrito Wallet, expressed excitement about their collaboration, stating that their joint efforts would lead to the creation of an advanced blockchain environment that boasts enhanced technology and services. He also highlighted that Burrito Wallet’s ongoing partnerships with businesses across different sectors would solidify the company’s position in the market as a distinguished wallet provider that offers practical services.Recently, Burrito Wallet has taken a significant step towards its global expansion by signing a partnership with Japanese blockchain gaming platform Oasys. Meanwhile, the Korean wallet firm has also expanded its support to 11 mainnets, consistently implementing updates to enhance user-friendliness of the platform.

news
Web3 & Enterprise·

May 12, 2025

Grab partners with Solana ecosystem DePIN project to enhance mapping

NATIX Network, an open geospatial intelligence network built upon proprietary AI technology, has partnered with Southeast Asian superapp Grab to collaborate on autonomous driving technology and mapping. NATIX is a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) project that exists within the Solana ecosystem. Singapore-headquartered Grab offers a broad range of services via its app, including ride-hailing, package delivery and food delivery. Additionally, the firm offers mobile payments and insurance products.Photo by Afif Ramdhasuma on UnsplashReshaping the mapping industryIn a blog post published to its website on May 6, NATIX outlined that the strategic partnership has been formed with a view towards reshaping the mapping industry. It explained that the objective in this regard would be to combine Grab’s camera hardware and its AI-based map-making software stack with NATIX’s decentralized blockchain-powered mapping data.  Due to the nature of the services that it has offered in Southeast Asia since it was founded in 2012, Grab has, through necessity, become involved in mapping to enhance its service delivery. As a consequence, it has developed a suite of cameras including its KartaCam, a small action camera which can be mounted on bike helmets or car windshields, and a 360-degree standalone camera, KartaCam 2, with built-in sensors, AI image optimization and GPS capabilities. ‘Internet of Cameras’For its part, NATIX claims to have built the world’s largest on-street camera network. As part of the collaboration, NATIX will use Grab’s hardware and software technology to expand its “Internet of Cameras.” Posting on LinkedIn, GrabMaps set out its thoughts on the partnership, stating:”By combining GrabMaps' AI-powered mapping technology with NATIX's decentralised data network, we're enabling real-time, high-fidelity map updates across the globe. As part of this collaboration, NATIX will launch VX360, a device built on Grab's hardware platform that allows Tesla drivers to collect and share 360° vehicle imagery.” Appearing on the Unleashing DePIN podcast recently, NATIX Co-Founder and CEO Alireza Ghods outlined that NATIX will launch VX360, a proprietary device built by leveraging Grab’s existing hardware. He explained that this collaboration saves NATIX in terms of overall project cost and months of R&D, all of which enables it to get to market faster.VX360 enables Tesla drivers to capture and share 360-degree imagery.  Future potentialGhods spoke to the additional future potential that the collaboration holds: “The interesting part is that they have other types of devices as well, they have a dashcam, a 360 camera, and our plan is to definitely integrate all of this into our map making and data collection pipeline.” This is not the first partnership that GrabMaps has established related to mapping. Previously it formed collaborations with Microsoft’s Bing Maps, navigation and mapping app Mappls and location data specialist Loqate.  Ghods believes that NATIX can go one better than centralized mapping projects like TomTom and Google Street View. He told Cointelegraph that “a blockchain-based incentivization system provides better results in terms of frequency, participation, and coverage.” The NATIX co-founder asserted that such data can be gathered at a fraction of the cost via users’ devices.

news
Policy & Regulation·

Jan 17, 2024

Crypto exchange Flybit passes post-audit for ISMS-P certification

South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Flybit, which is operated by the Korean Fintech Industry Association, has passed the post-audit for its Information Security and Privacy Management System certification (ISMS-P), according to local news website News1 on Wednesday (KST).Photo by FlyD on UnsplashRigorous certification standardsThe ISMS-P is a security management system jointly operated by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the Personal Information Protection Commission, representing the highest level of security management in the country. 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. Flybit’s commitment to security"Cryptocurrency exchanges are businesses that manage customers' valuable assets. All Flybit members approach their work by recognizing the fact that the protection of personal information is our most important value,” the exchange said. "We will continually strive to maintain security accidents since the establishment of the exchange." Flybit first obtained the ISMS certification in December 2020 and the ISMS-P certification two years later in December 2022. The most recent ISMS-P follow-up audit was conducted last month. After a thorough examination, the results of the audit were delivered by the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA) on Dec. 12, which stated that the exchange could maintain its certification. In October last year, the firm also received the highest rating in the comprehensive anti-money laundering (AML) evaluation conducted annually by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the Financial Services Commission.

news
Loading