Singapore’s TOKEN2049 opened with a clear message: the next chapter of crypto is being written at the crossroads of institutional infrastructure, real-world asset tokenization, and sensible regulation.
The two-day flagship event at Marina Bay Sands drew over 25,000 attendees, including founders, investors, policymakers, and Web3 developers, all eager to see where the industry is heading.
On Day 1 alone, a series of major announcements were made, from 24/7 tokenized equities and enterprise-level privacy layers to bold predictions about Bitcoin’s next phase, that set the stage for a new era of adoption.
On Bitcoin, Citrea previewed its upcoming mainnet, designed to unlock deep BTC liquidity and increase miner revenue streams.
Meanwhile, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev called tokenization a “freight train,” unveiling tokenized stocks in Europe and hinting at real estate tokenization next, arguing that the U.S. must catch up to European digital-asset frameworks.
Capital deployment accelerated as Maelstrom (Arthur Hayes) launched Maelstrom Equity, a private equity arm targeting control and minority stakes in crypto and related firms. MEXC Ventures increased its ENA (Ethena) stake to $30M, raising total Ethena ecosystem exposure to $66M (including USDe).
On the product side, Hypersurface introduced HyperEVM, offering fully on-chain covered calls with transparent strikes and upfront stablecoin premiums, bridging a strategy long dominated by OTC desks in TradFi.
Celo reached two milestones: XAUt0 (omnichain Tether Gold) for 150+ countries and Nightfall, EY’s zero-knowledge privacy layer, as Layer 3 for auditable, private B2B payments, opening a wedge into the $180T cross-border market.
Security and access also improved: Digital Shield Pro launched with CC EAL6+ secure element and air-gapped QR signing; KuCoin rebranded to “Trust First. Trade Next” and introduced KuMining for verifiable cloud hashrate.
From a regulatory perspective, Indonesia’s CFX highlighted its “Three-Pillar” model, comprising an exchange, clearing house, and custodian under OJK oversight, which has helped grow the platform to 16.5 million registered investors and provides a model for tokenized RWAs and stablecoin development.
The program’s prominence matched its substance: Donald Trump Jr. and Michael Ho drew large crowds discussing policy and institutional adoption, while Sheeraz Hasan’s AI-infused fame session emphasized crypto’s cultural influence.
Cover image from ChatGPT, HYPEUSD chart from Tradingview
