Because the co-founder and basic companion at early stage enterprise capital fund Race Capital, Edith Yeung has had a front-row seat on the event of the crypto sector, significantly in Hong Kong, the place she was born and raised. Most notably, she was a seed investor in Solana, investing $250,000 when SOL was valued at simply $0.04, and likewise was an early investor in Lightning Community. Since 2017, Yeung has additionally authored the China Web report, an influential annual survey of expertise developments in China.
Right here, Yeung, who will probably be a speaker at Consensus Hong Kong, discusses Hong Kong’s ongoing improvement as a crypto hub, her tackle China’s stance in direction of crypto, what she foresees for Solana and one massive crypto prediction for 2025.
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Interview has been condensed and calmly edited for readability.
How do you see crypto rules creating in HK in 2025? Do you suppose extra crypto corporations will turn into licensed by the SFC in 2025?
It’s thrilling to see that Hong Kong now has seven SFC-licensed digital asset buying and selling platforms. From an investor’s perspective, having a transparent licensing regime is a significant step ahead. Regulatory readability and predictability are like well-lit roads — they offer buyers the arrogance to drive ahead with out worrying about sudden detours.
That mentioned, licensing alone isn’t sufficient. Liquidity is the opposite important piece of the puzzle. Consider a buying and selling platform like a brand-new freeway: you may have the smoothest pavement and clearest indicators, but when no automobiles are on it, drivers received’t trouble. Equally, irrespective of what number of licenses you’ve gotten, if there’s no energetic buying and selling and liquidity, buyers will hesitate to return aboard.
The important thing for Hong Kong now’s to construct not simply the infrastructure however the site visitors movement — as a result of a terrific platform with out liquidity is like an empty freeway going nowhere.
What sort of function do you see Hong Kong creating by way of the crypto sector, particularly in relation to the US? What about Asia extra broadly?
Hong Kong is the New York of Asia. Trade Sq. is mainly Wall Road — a 24/7 monetary powerhouse with hovering skyscrapers and streets filled with merchants, buyers and bankers with vitality that by no means quits. In case you are a crypto builder or investor, you will see many TradFi abilities (merchants, market makers, and many others.) in Hong Kong.
To construct a profitable TradFi or DeFi firm, it’s essential recruit particular kinds of expertise which might be laborious to seek out even in Silicon Valley. Hong Kong boasts a wealthy monetary historical past, with its inventory market origins courting again to 1866 — over 150 years — means there’s a deep pool of skilled professionals who can drive innovation and progress in your enterprise.
What would you say is distinctive about HK/Southeast Asia for crypto in comparison with the US and Europe?
The U.S. is house to the biggest crypto addressable market by way of institutional buyers, regulators and builders. However Asia is house to the best progress potential for the crypto market. In 2024, half of the highest 10 nations on the planet ranked by crypto adoption have been positioned in Asia.
With the brand new Trump administration, the U.S. will proceed to set the tone for crypto regulation and institutional adoption (e.g., BlackRock ETF). Asia will observe their lead with its huge utilization base that’s younger and crypto-native.
Do you view China as typically professional or anti-crypto? There’s been a whole lot of crypto exercise there, however on the similar time, the federal government is formally towards mining and hypothesis.
Hong Kong is a part of China. Seeing pro-crypto regulation slowly forming in Hong Kong is a superb signal and indicator for China. That mentioned, China actually has a military of 220 million retail buyers sitting on virtually $21 trillion value of financial savings. With a lingering property disaster and a meek financial system, nevertheless, it is extremely tough to say when China will open up for crypto enterprise once more, as the federal government focuses on these bigger points.
You have been a seed investor in Solana; do you continue to have your preliminary funding there? Do you suppose Solana will proceed to draw as a lot memecoin exercise because it did in 2024?
Sure. It was an honor that I bought to satisfy Solana co-founders Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal and turn into their seed investor again in March 2018. I’m a long-term Solana holder and supporter. What I really like about them is their dedication to constructing and their assist for the developer neighborhood. The developer vitality on the 2024 Breakpoint convention was excessive not solely due to memecoins.
The Firedancer staff made large technical advances final 12 months, and I simply love that Anatoly remains to be head-down geeking out with individuals like Soar Buying and selling chief science officer Kevin Bowers and his staff daily. Much more thrilling to me is seeing conventional finance gamers like Constancy, Citi and PayPal talking at Breakpoint about what they’re constructing on Solana. This inflow of established gamers not solely validates Solana’s future but in addition alerts that blockchain expertise is prepared for the lots.
What sorts of corporations are you presently seeking to put money into and why?
I’m a seed investor in Huma Finance — a frontrunner in PayFi constructing on Solana and a frontrunner in stablecoin infrastructure. In 2024, they did over $2 billion in stablecoin transactions. At Race Capital, we are going to proceed to give attention to investing in web infrastructure. Builders who wish to be round long-term don’t thoughts whether or not it’s an up or down cycle.
What’s one thing you suppose will occur in 2025 that may shock crypto people?
The institution of a U.S. Bitcoin Reserve by the top of 2025. The USA is presently the biggest holder of Bitcoin, with roughly 207,189 bitcoins. This effort will probably be bolstered by this huge stockpile, which is now valued at over $20 billion at present costs. This resolution is predicted to drive up bitcoin costs, prompting different governments all over the world to observe swimsuit.
What are you most excited to debate onstage in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong’s function in constructing the crypto trade in 2025, China’s love/hate relationship with crypto and maybe extra insights on Solana.