Blockchain pioneers in the Philippines are optimistic that mass adoption of the technology is closely to tipping point as more and more individuals get to understand how it works and its role in the evolving technology and services in the country.
For Donald Lim, founder and chairman of the Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP), the evolution is about having not just innovators and early adopters using the technology but mass adopters.
“Every technology is a race towards innovators, early adapters, to early majority. Once you hit early majority then you know that that’s the tipping point. So you’re talking about 5-10 (percent of population), give or take. If we get 15, 20 million users, that’s the tipping point,” said Lim, noting that cryptocurrency users — which uses blockchain to safely record crypto transactions — in the Philippines is at least five million.
“That’s early majority. It’s like Facebook and TikTok. Once it reaches 20 million, it’ll snowball. So I think it’s important for the front-runners, Whether it’s crypto exchanges, meme coins, using it for entertainment, all of that, bits and pieces of that, it builds up the people going into (things like) crypto wallets, trying it, understanding it,” he added.
BCP has been engaging various stakeholders for blockchain adoption, particularly the government, for a collective understanding of blockchain and try it in applications. In particular, global advocates of the technology refers to blockchain as a foundation of Web3 where the internet is characterized by decentralization and token-based economics.
In particular, Paul Soliman, BCP founder and co-founder of Bayanichain, said his group is working with the government’s Department of Budget and Management for a blockchain-based application on the authorization of budget allocation for specific projects or agency.
“So all government budget that was released is gonna be on blockchain. It’s a public portal that you can see all the budget,” he said.
This develops as BCP prepares for its fourth Philippine Blockchain Week 2025, set for June 10-11, 2025 at the SMX Convention Center in the Bay Area of Manila.
Janelle Barreto, president and co-founder of Philippine Blockchain Week, said the latest Philippine Blockchain Week hopes to improve on the previous event.
“This year I believe that with the help of our partners 10,000 (attendees) is a walk,” she said, noting that the first and second event attracted 5,000 and 8,000 attendees, respectively.
“We are occupying 6,930 square meters of space. That’s three halls. But we’re all gonna have multiple activities happening under one roof. And so, from gaming, music, entertainment, and the arts, we hope that we will bring Philippine Blockchain Week and the Philippines to greater heights. We will bring about 150 global and international speakers who will talk about all the concepts that will be decoded for us in Philippine Blockchain Week,” she added.
With a theme “DECODED,” the Philippine Blockchain Week 2025 embodies the event’s commitment to “unravel blockchain’s intricacies and unlock its broad possibilities,” said BCP in a statement.
The event will focus on decoding key topics like decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming and decentralized finance (GameFi), decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN), NFTs (non-fungible tokes), and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO).
“It connects these technologies to real-world applications in industries such as healthcare, real estate, education, commerce, retail, and supply chain logistics,” it said.
“With its invested communities, DECODED will have its biggest stage in the gaming, music, and entertainment industries as easy and accessible entry points to Web3,” BCP added.
BCP is partnering with caravan collaborators like Tier One Entertainment, who will stage its Nexus Academia, at the event.
“One of the highlights for Philippine Blockchain Week is a collaboration with MetaStar, a Web3-powered entertainment platform that revolutionizes fan engagement by merging blockchain technology with immersive experiences, offering NFT-gated events, decentralized governance (DAO), and fan co-created content. From June 10 to 11 at Philippine Business Week, MetaStars will launch and stage IDOL QUEST, a huge audition event in search of the next big thing in P-Pop,” BCP said.
Philippine Blockchain Week will also stage Meme Fiesta, a collaborative effort between PBW and Bangkok-based 9 Cat Group, to showcase the latest trends in meme coins and crypto. 9 Cat Group is a Web3 powerhouse that supports blockchain projects through tailored incubation, strategic partnerships, and an unparalleled global network.
“Philippine Blockchain Week is also pleased to announce its title sponsor, $KIKI, a unique blend of meme culture, artificial intelligence, and digital IP, built on the blockchain,” said BCP.
With the Philippine Blockchain Week, BCP hopes to make the understanding of blockchain not just educational but also entertaining.
“(When) we started Philippine Blockchain Week, we know the basics but we don’t know much. And it’s a continuous learning up until now with the Blockchain Council of the Philippines. I mean, I’m not a tech person, but I know a lot more just because of these events and getting all of these amazing speakers all over the world. Very informative. So I think that’s where Philippine Blockchain Week is very vital in terms of not just having an event, but making it fun so that the boring stuff can be learned,” he said.
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