NEOPIN Strengthens Japanese Market Strategy for Its Global Expansion

Philippines breaks new ground in first-ever tokenized bonds saleThe Philippines is set to offer the country’s first tokenized treasury bonds, a novel way of issuing debt securities using blockchain technology.Photo by Mara Rivera on Unsplash$179 million tokenized bond issuanceAccording to a report by Bloomberg on Thursday, the Bureau of the Treasury announced that it will issue 10 billion pesos ($179 million) of one-year tokenized bonds next Monday after canceling the conventional auction scheduled for the same day. The bonds will be issued by the Development Bank of the Philippines, a state-owned entity, together with the Land Bank of the Philippines.The tokenized bonds will be sold to institutional investors at a minimum denomination of 10 million pesos, with increments of 1 million pesos. The bonds will have a one-year validity, maturing in November 2024. The treasury bond interest rate has yet to be determined and will be confirmed on the date of issuance.Deputy Treasurer Erwin Sta said that the government is exploring the potential of tokenizing real-world assets and bonds and will “continue to study the technology and test how far we can take it.”Tokenization is the process of converting physical or digital assets into digital tokens that can be stored, transferred and traded on a blockchain network. Tokenization can offer several benefits, such as lower costs, faster transactions, greater transparency and enhanced security.Asian surge in tokenizationThe Philippines is not the only Asian country that is experimenting with tokenized bonds. This latest bond tokenization project follows hot on the heels of a similar move in Singapore. Earlier this week, British banking conglomerate Standard Chartered, through its Singapore-based fintech investment subsidiary SC Ventures, unveiled a new platform called Libeara. Libeara is gearing up to offer the first-ever tokenized Singapore-dollar government bond fund.In February, Hong Kong issued $100 million of tokenized green bonds under its Green Bond Programme, using Goldman Sachs’ tokenization protocol. The tokenized green bonds, a first-of-its-kind issuance, have a one-year validity and aim to support environmental projects in the region.Authorities in Singapore have also launched a series of pilots on tokenizing real-world assets in collaboration with JPMorgan, DBS Bank, BNY Mellon and Apollo, an investment firm. The pilots will test the feasibility and efficiency of tokenizing assets such as equities, bonds and funds. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) partnered with HSBC to conduct the tokenization of bonds as well.The tokenization of real-world assets is not limited to Asia. Israel’s Tel Aviv stock exchange completed a proof-of-concept for tokenizing fiat and government bonds, demonstrating the potential of blockchain technology to transform the capital markets.The tokenization of real-world assets using blockchain technology is a growing trend among governments and financial institutions. According to the Boston Consulting Group, tokenized assets could reach a market capitalization of $16 trillion by 2030. By issuing tokenized bonds, the Philippines is joining the ranks of the pioneers in this field, opening up new possibilities and opportunities for the crypto industry and the economy as a whole.

South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit has opened a special event in celebration of its staking service surpassing a total value of KRW 1.5 trillion ($1.2 billion), where users can participate in a staking quiz to receive 0.002 ETH (approximately $4.60) each. Staking refers to the process of entrusting crypto assets to be utilized for a blockchain’s operations and receiving rewards in return.Photo by Nenad Novaković on UnsplashEvent detailsParticipants in the quiz event will have 30 minutes to complete five quizzes related to Upbit’s staking service. The total reward pool is 210 ETH, which will be allocated to 100,000 participants on a first-come, first-served basis the day after answers are submitted. After completing the quiz mission, ten users who also stake their Ethereum assets will get the opportunity to be selected to receive 1 ETH each. "We organized the event to make more users aware of staking on Upbit and to express our gratitude,” Dunamu, the operator of Upbit, said. Upbit’s growing staking platformUpbit’s staking service was officially launched in January last year. Currently, there are five cryptocurrencies that can be staked on Upbit – Ethereum, Cosmos, Cardano, Solana and Polygon. In particular, the exchange does not manage user assets or entrust them to external parties but stakes them through self-operated validators. All staked assets are stored in a cold wallet. 

Wealthy investors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are warming to cryptocurrencies while largely bypassing traditional private banks, a new survey shows. The poll, conducted by Swiss wealth manager Avaloq and reported by CoinDesk, found that roughly four in 10 high-net-worth individuals in the country hold digital assets, though only about 20% used conventional wealth managers to make such allocations. The survey gathered responses from 3,851 investors and 456 wealth professionals.Photo by Atikah Akhtar on UnsplashA rising tide in crypto wealthThe findings land amid a broader run-up in crypto fortunes. Henley & Partners’ 2025 Crypto Wealth Report, published in September, estimates 241,700 crypto millionaires worldwide this year—about 40% more than in 2024. Even so, UAE respondents in Avaloq’s poll voiced caution, citing the market’s sharp swings as a primary deterrent. Operational hurdles compound that wariness. Managing wallets, safeguarding private keys, and arranging custody remain friction points for would-be buyers. Among those who remain on the sidelines, Avaloq found that volatility topped the list of deterrents (38%), followed by limited understanding (36%) and distrust of trading platforms (32%). Younger cohorts drive crypto uptake, advisor shiftsFamily dynamics are increasingly driving crypto adoption. Younger members of ultra-wealthy households are introducing parents and grandparents to digital assets, Avaloq’s UAE survey found. Meanwhile, 63% of investors have either changed wealth managers or are considering doing so, often because they feel their questions about crypto are not being adequately addressed. Akash Anand, head of Middle East and Africa at Avaloq, described the moment as one of growing client curiosity met by a slow institutional response, prompting private banks to accelerate work on digital asset services. Dubai’s growing role as a crypto hub will again be on display in December, when it hosts Binance Blockchain Week 2025. The two-day conference, slated for Dec. 3–4, features appearances by Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao, Strategy Chairman Michael Saylor, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, and Solana Foundation President Lily Liu. A debate between Zhao and long-time crypto skeptic Peter Schiff on Bitcoin’s merits versus tokenized gold is also expected, after Zhao invited Schiff to participate via X. Combined, the survey data and recent developments depict a UAE wealth market in the early stages of engagement with digital assets. While enthusiasm is building among younger investors and high-profile initiatives continue to draw attention, concerns about volatility and management complexity remain barriers to entry. The extent to which established wealth firms and new entrants can address those concerns will shape the next phase of the market’s growth.