Preferences AI and ARC have released the 2026 APAC Crypto Infrastructure Map, a first-edition benchmark of builder sentiment and market readiness across Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Last year, APAC led the world in on-chain transaction growth. Over the same period, its most established hubs steadily raised their barriers to entry. That tension sits at the heart of the 2026 APAC Crypto Infrastructure Map: market enthusiasm is abundant, but institutional access remains gated. Treating the two as one distorts any meaningful benchmark.
The report is written for four audiences in mind:
The first three share one priority, cutting through the hype to see where capital can actually be deployed. For every reader, the findings are presented directly and transparently, without unnecessary jargon.
The report is a joint initiative between ARC and Preferences AI that pairs qualitative field research with large-scale synthetic modelling. ARC led the qualitative work and conducted nine in-depth interviews with regional allocators and operators in mid-2026. Preferences AI built the quantitative architecture: the scoring models, the weightings and the synthetic panel infrastructure. Both the Builder Sentiment Index and the User Sentiment Guide draw on 36,000 synthetic participant profiles across six regional markets, modelled directly on observable digital behaviour.
Our goal was simple, create an unvarnished, on-the-ground account of what builders and allocators in Asia actually face. It looks past what a jurisdiction promises in a headline to what it really takes to secure a licence, open a bank account, recruit talent and close a round once you set up shop. The report is also built to be actionable, not just descriptive. By showing where each hub stands, it aims to sharpen regional competitiveness, which is what compounds into lasting growth across the digital asset ecosystem.
This is a first edition, not a final verdict. The framework is designed to be run again, so future editions can track how each hub moves, and why.
ARC
ARC is architecting a new model for digital-native individuals to come together as a single collective. With diverse individuals coming together to pool resources and networks, we are building a first-of-its-kind powerhouse for collaboration and project incubation. As a collective entity, our vision is for ARC to become the leading innovation and cultural kingmaker in the space, not just in Asia but the world.
In order to download the white paper, please share with us the following details.
