Nearly two decades since Bitcoin’s launch, cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have produced limited tangible success in Southeast Asia. On the one hand, select blockchains are finally gaining traction through practical applications that leverage their immutable, publicly auditable, and programmable nature. For example, the Philippines announced in January 2026 that it will track its national budget on the Polygon blockchain for transparency and accountability. Singapore’s Project Guardian is building infrastructure for tokenised assets, which will enable financial institutions to decrease the time…