How Asia's Crypto Communities View the Tariffs and Trump's Embrace of Crypto

The U.S. is rattled by tariffs, economic uncertainty, and political U-turns on crypto. But across Asia, the response has been … different.

In this episode of Unchained, we check in with two of the sharpest observers of Asia’s crypto landscape: Emily Parker, China and Japan advisor of the Global Blockchain Business Council, and Yat Siu, chairman of Animoca Brands. They unpack how Asia views the Trump crypto pivot, what’s actually happening inside China, why Hong Kong may be the most important jurisdiction in crypto right now, and how Japan and Korea are quietly shaping the future of regulation, stablecoins, and DeFi.

Plus:

• Is crypto really banned in China?
• Why Korea is lifting its “shadow ban”
• Why crypto gaming is thriving in Asia
• And what the West can learn from it all

Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com

Thank you to our sponsors!

• Bitwise

Guests:

• Emily Parker, China and Japan Advisor at the Global Blockchain Business Council
• Yat Siu, Chairman of Animoca Brands

Links

• WSJ: Crypto Is Illegal in China. Binance Does $90 Billion of Business There Anyway.

Timestamps: 

🌏 0:00 Introduction

😌 5:43 Why Chinese sentiment around tariffs is calmer than in the U.S.

🗣️ 8:24 What crypto conversations are really about in China right now

🔁 11:28 How Asia reacted to the U.S. crypto U-turn under Trump

🏦 20:13 Are Asian nations quietly building up bitcoin reserves?

📜 23:19 How Asia has more regulatory clarity than the U.S.

📈 25:13 Why crypto adoption in Asia is outpacing that of other regions 

🇰🇷 30:22 Why DeFi hasn’t taken off yet in South Korea – Don’t miss this!

🌐 38:05 The potential rise of non-USD stablecoins in Asia

👀 43:52 Is crypto actually banned in China? 

💴 55:51 Whether the digital yuan is being adopted

🔓 1:00:28 Korea potentially lifting its “shadow ban” on institutional crypto investment?

📊 1:05:15 Why some Asian companies choose to IPO in the U.S. and whether more are coming

🎮 1:10:21 What’s really happening with Web3 gaming in Asia right now

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