Last week, Hong Kong solidified its position as a global hub for Bitcoin innovation by hosting Bitcoin Asia 2025, a landmark conference organized by BTC Inc. Held on August 28 and 29, the two-day event attracted thousands of Bitcoin enthusiasts, developers, corporate leaders, and policymakers from across Asia and beyond. With sessions conducted primarily in English and Mandarin (普通话) and requiring a Whale Pass for many exclusive talks, the conference showcased Asia’s growing influence in Bitcoin’s adoption, regulation, and technological advancement. Spanning over 50 sessions across the Nakamoto and Genesis Stages, plus exclusive VIP Lounge events, Bitcoin Asia 2025 was a pivotal moment for the region’s Bitcoin ecosystem.

Day 1: Setting the Stage for Bitcoin’s Asian Ascent (August 28)

The conference kicked off at 9:25 AM on the Nakamoto Stage with Opening Remarks from David Bailey, CEO of KindlyMD ($NAKA) and co-founder of BTC Inc., and Simon Gerovich, President of Metaplanet Inc. Bailey highlighted BTC Inc.’s role in fostering Bitcoin intelligence through projects like Bitcoin Magazine and the Bitcoin Conference series, while Gerovich detailed Metaplanet’s bold strategy of adopting Bitcoin as its primary treasury reserve asset, leveraging debt and equity financing to fuel accumulation.

A key session, “Debunking The Top 10 Bitcoin Myths From Disbelievers”, saw BTB (畢特比) of the Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong dismantle common misconceptions in a concise 15-minute talk, drawing on his work building blockchain applications on Bitcoin’s base layer. The Nakamoto Stage also hosted significant announcements, including a “Special Treasury Announcement” by Paul Lee, CEO of a pioneering Korean Bitcoin strategy firm, and a “Damus Announcement” by Will Casarin, founder of Nostr and Damus Inc., spotlighting advancements in decentralized social protocols.

On the Genesis Stage, “Bitcoin Meetups: The Heartbeat of Adoption”, moderated by John Pratt of Bitcoin Sydney, featured Keypleb of Code Orange Dev School and Dominik Weil of BitcoinVN. They shared insights on grassroots efforts, from Bali’s developer training programs to Vietnam’s long-standing Bitcoin exchange, emphasizing community-driven adoption.

Regulation took the spotlight in “Hong Kong’s Role in Shaping the Global Bitcoin Regulatory Landscape”, moderated by Caspar Wong of Web3Labs. Panelists, including Marco Lim of Boyaa Interactive and Clarence Shen of Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission, discussed Hong Kong’s progressive regulatory framework, positioning it as a global leader in virtual asset policy.

Other highlights included “How The Middle Class Can Reclaim Financial Sovereignty with Bitcoin”, moderated by Pauline Shangett of ChangeNOW, and a Mandarin session, “稳定币在亚洲金融未来中扮演什么角色? (Where Do Stablecoins Fit in Asia’s Financial Future?)”, featuring Jeff Wen of Hayek Technology. Technical talks like “Behind the Scenes of BitVM’s Architecture” on the Genesis Stage, with Liam Eagen of Alpen Labs, explored cutting-edge Layer 2 solutions.

The afternoon featured keynotes such as “The Trojan Horse Behind Bitcoin Adoption” by JP Richardson of Exodus and “Punch Your Ticket: The Exploding On-Chain Economy” by Ken Liao of Xverse, focusing on Bitcoin’s DeFi and NFT potential. A Fireside Chat with David Bailey in the Deep VIP Lounge and Balaji Srinivasan’s provocative “How AI & Bitcoin Are Upending The World As We Know It” capped the day, blending visionary ideas with practical strategies.

Day 2: Institutional Momentum and Technical Innovation (August 29)

Friday opened with Stephan Livera, host of the Stephan Livera Podcast, delivering “Why Bitcoin is Different”, reinforcing Bitcoin’s unique value as a decentralized asset. The Genesis Stage hosted “Building Community with Physical Bitcoin Spaces”, moderated by Billy Jo, with Teruko Neriki of Tokyo Bitcoin Base and Piccolo of BOB Space Bangkok discussing physical hubs for education and collaboration.

Announcements continued with the “RGB Announcement” by Anant Tapadia of Bitcoin Tribe and Federico Tenga of Bitfinex, unveiling updates to Bitcoin’s client-side validation protocol. Gabe Parker of Citrea presented “The Landscape of Real Bitcoin DeFi”, outlining trust-minimized bridges and Layer 2 solutions.

Corporate adoption was a major focus in “Why Bitcoin is the Only Digital Asset That Works For Corporate Treasuries”, moderated by Coyn Mateer of UTXO Management, with speakers like Hervé Larren of Airvey.io. The Nakamoto Stage’s “Bitcoin Treasury Innovation in The Asia-Pacific Region”, led by Jason Fang of Sora Ventures, featured executives from Moon Inc., DV8, and Remixpoint, showcasing Asia’s “MicroStrategy” models.

Energy and mining were explored in “Bitcoin Mining, AI & The Future of Energy Infrastructure”, moderated by Mario Gutierrez of Giga Energy, with Benjamin Yi of Riot and Asher Genoot of Hut 8 discussing synergies between Bitcoin mining and AI data centers. Education was emphasized in “The ABCs of Bitcoin Education (Q&A)”, moderated by Tom McDonald of The University of Hong Kong, with panelists like Reyna Chicas of Mi Primer Bitcoin.

The event closed with “亚洲机构引领比特币新时代开始 (The Next Era of Bitcoin Starts with Asia’s Institutions)”, moderated by Kevin Zhang of Nakamoto, and keynotes from Dr. Xiao Feng of HashKey Group and Simon Gerovich on “Metaplanet Keynote: Asia’s Coming Bitcoin Moment”. Balaji Srinivasan’s “When Bitcoin Wins” offered a visionary close, imagining a Bitcoin-dominated financial future.

Key Themes and Impact

Bitcoin Asia 2025 highlighted Asia’s regulatory leadership, corporate treasury adoption (e.g., Metaplanet, Moon Inc.), and technical innovations like BitVM, OP_CAT, and Lightning UX improvements. Education and community building were central, with sessions on youth empowerment and global meetups underscoring Bitcoin’s role in financial sovereignty.

With over 100 speakers—from Goldman Sachs veterans to open-source developers—the event bridged East and West, offering a platform for networking, deal-making, and policy discussions. Whale Pass holders enjoyed exclusive access to VIP sessions, fostering connections in Bitcoin infrastructure and DeFi.

Attendees described Bitcoin Asia 2025 as a “turning point” for the region, with one noting, “Asia is no longer following—it’s leading Bitcoin’s global charge.” For more details, visit asia.b.tc/agenda. Plans for Bitcoin Asia 2026 are already in motion, promising to build on this year’s momentum.