Opinion by: Dominic Schwenter, chief operating officer of Lisk
The US is in the middle of a crypto boom. Exchange-traded fund approvals have opened the door to institutional adoption, liquidity is increasing, and regulatory clarity is beginning to take shape under a more crypto-aligned administration. Filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission referencing blockchain hit an all-time high in February 2025, signaling a broader shift in how seriously the technology is being taken at the highest levels.
This momentum is good for the industry. US-based crypto companies have spent nearly a decade building through regulatory uncertainty, and they deserve the attention and rewards that are finally arriving. Is institutional support finally showing up? Itโs overdue โ and well-earned.
Zooming in on the US too much, however, puts the industry at risk of missing whatโs happening elsewhere. Some of the most important crypto adoption today takes root in places far outside the spotlight.
The most exciting crypto adoption isnโt happening on Wall Street. It is unfolding in high-growth markets where people use crypto not to speculate but out of necessity. These communities didnโt wait for headlines. They built through every cycle and are now setting the pace for where Web3 is going next.
High-growth markets are leading in adoption
Fifteen of the top 20 countries on Chainalysisโs 2024 Global Crypto Adoption Index are in high-growth regions such as Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Nigeria. These arenโt just speculative hotspots. In many of these countries, crypto is part of daily life. Unlike boom-and-bust markets, adoption here hasnโt wavered. It is grounded in utility.
In many of these economies, crypto helps families facilitate remittance, offers a safer way to store value when local currencies arenโt stable, and lets small businesses move money without friction. In the West, crypto still carries the sheen of a high-risk investment. In high-growth markets, itโs already embedded into daily life. Thatโs what real adoption looks like.
Builders are shifting to high-growth markets
As steady, practical usage rises, builder activity follows. Currently, the global developer map is changing fast.ย
According to the 2024 Electric Capital Developer Report, Asia now accounts for 32% of active crypto developers โ a massive jump from just 12% in 2015. Over the same period, the US share dropped sharply, from 38% to 19%. The blockchain talent pool isnโt shrinking. Itโs moving to where the momentum is.
Additionally, 41% of all new crypto developers now come from Asia, illustrating a growing pipeline of builders emerging outside of traditional tech hubs. These arenโt just hobbyists but the next wave of founders, architects and engineers choosing to build closer to the problems crypto can solve.
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This shift isnโt limited to Central Asia. Africa, South America and Southeast Asia are all seeing steady increases in developer activity, while North America and Europe continue to decline in relative share. The message is clear: Web3 innovation is no longer anchored to a single geography. Itโs being driven by builders who are closer to real-world needs โ and who are designing for them.
Blockchain solves real problems
The surge in developer activity and adoption across high-growth markets isnโt happening in a vacuum. Instead, itโs tied to real-world effects.ย
A clear example is PepsiCo South Africaโs use of blockchain for supply chain tracking in the informal trade sector. In a region where traditional infrastructure is often fragmented or absent, this implementation does what blockchain was meant to do: solve problems.
Using a blockchain-powered end-to-end digital payments solution like Lov.cash, PepsiCo enables cashless payments between small, often unbanked retailers and wholesalers. The system also gave wholesalers a clear view into what was selling and where โ helping them plan smarter and cut down on waste. Thereโs no token speculation here, no shiny non-fungible tokens โ just a real solution to a real supply chain problem.
Stories like this rarely get top billing, but theyโre where the technology actually delivers. In places where basic infrastructure is lacking, blockchain isnโt an experiment. Itโs a workaround. If the industry keeps chasing hype while ignoring this influence, itโll miss the most significant chance to make a difference.
A call to action for Web3 builders
Whatโs happening in the US is worthy of celebration โ but itโs not the whole story. Real-world adoption, momentum from builders, and real use cases are accelerating in high-growth markets, where crypto is already making a difference.
This is where Web3โs long-term effect will be shaped. Builders and investors should stop waiting for validation from Washington or Wall Street and start paying attention to the places where the tech is solving real problems right now.
Crypto didnโt wait for the US to matter. If the goal is to build something truly global, itโs time to follow the people already using it to make things work.
Opinion by: Dominic Schwenter, chief operating officer of Lisk.
This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the authorโs alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
