Southeast Asia Blockchain Week (SEABW) will return to Bangkok from May 18 to 24, 2026, for its third annual edition, with the main conference scheduled for May 20–21 at True ICON Hall in ICONSIAM. The event comes as Southeast Asia’s cryptocurrency market is forecast to reach $194.66 billion by 2034, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 8.48% from 2026 and rising institutional participation in digital assets.
Focus on regulation, institutional use, and next-generation infrastructure
Organized by venture capital firm Hashed and its innovation arm ShardLab, in partnership with Thai financial group SCBX, SEABW 2026 will gather Web3 executives, regulators, and major institutions to examine how blockchain is being integrated into mainstream financial and consumer systems.
The 2026 program centers on five themes:
- the regulatory frontier
- institutional verticalization
- RWA 2.0 (next-phase real-world asset tokenization)
- the agentic economy
- the base layer imperative
Kim, chief executive of ShardLab, said the agenda will explore how artificial intelligence and on-chain infrastructure are extending into everyday finance and consumer services.
Thailand’s regulatory shift underpins Bangkok as host city
Bangkok was selected as host as Thailand advances its regulatory and market framework for digital assets. The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission has:
- approved crypto exchange-traded funds
- regulated crypto futures products
- granted capital gains tax exemptions for certain digital asset transactions
The Bank of Thailand has launched a programmable payment sandbox and authorized specific stablecoins for broader use. SCBX, which has been active in digital asset initiatives, will serve as main sponsor of SEABW 2026, positioning itself as a central link between blockchain platforms and established financial infrastructure.
Rising institutional presence in Southeast Asia’s crypto market
Institutional-scale activity now accounts for about 68.8% of crypto transaction volume in Southeast Asia, marking a shift from retail speculation toward more structured financial use. Across the region, institutional participation is estimated to represent between 57% and 68% of total volume, underscoring growing interest from large financial entities and corporate actors.
Sessions on the regulatory frontier are expected to draw particular attention. Thai authorities recently approved a proposal allowing digital assets, including Bitcoin, to be used as underlying assets for derivatives trading. The move is aimed at modernizing capital markets and follows plans by the Thai SEC to finalize rules for crypto ETFs and futures within 2026, measures designed to attract more institutional capital into regulated channels.
Institutional verticalization and SCBX’s role
The theme of institutional verticalization will be illustrated by SCBX’s role as lead sponsor. The group’s involvement signals how traditional financial firms are building dedicated digital asset capabilities, from custody and payments to tokenized investment products. Market participants will be watching for any new partnerships, infrastructure rollouts, or product announcements that could shape regional capital flows.
RWA 2.0 and the growth of tokenized assets
The RWA 2.0 track will examine the next phase of tokenizing real-world assets such as bonds, funds, and other financial instruments. Estimates for the global tokenized asset market reach as high as $16 trillion by 2030. By early 2026, more than $24 billion in real-world assets had already been tokenized on-chain, led by U.S. Treasuries.
Sessions are expected to cover which platforms, legal frameworks, and technical standards are emerging as the preferred options for large-scale deployment and compliance-focused usage.
Base layer and agentic economy: AI meets blockchain
The base layer imperative and agentic economy themes will focus on core blockchain infrastructure and its intersection with AI-driven systems. Discussions will assess which base-layer networks are being evaluated seriously by governments and major financial institutions for tokenized assets, stablecoins, and automated financial workflows.
Han Sang-woo of Hashed has noted that policymakers and leading banks across Southeast Asia are actively developing strategies for tokenized instruments and stablecoins. Technical panels at SEABW are expected to offer clarity on performance, security, and interoperability requirements for this next stage of digital finance.
Hackathon, exhibition, and closed-door roundtables
SEABW 2026 will feature several dedicated programs:
- play to build hackathon: Developers will design blockchain-based applications and present them during a demo day, highlighting early-stage projects and new use cases.
- exhibition and spotlight stage: Builders and technology firms will showcase solutions and engage directly with institutional delegates and corporate partners.
- closed-door institutional roundtables: Funds, regulators, and infrastructure providers will meet in private sessions to discuss cross-border cooperation, regulatory harmonization, and shared infrastructure.
General admission to the main conference will remain free of charge. Curated private sessions and senior-level roundtables will be ticketed.
Event details and registration
SEABW 2026 will take place on May 20–21 at True ICON Hall in ICONSIAM, Bangkok, Thailand, as part of a broader week of activities running from May 18 to 24. Further details and registration information are available at www.seablockchainweek.org.
Exploring institutional crypto adoption in Southeast Asia? Deepen your understanding of finance’s evolution with our guide to traditional finance.
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