CZ Visits The Philippines! Here's Why It's a Big Deal

Blockshoals pulled off its biggest power move yet, coordinating a meeting between Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao and key regulators at the SEC and Department of Finance. By the time CZ took to Twitter to acknowledge the meeting late in the evening Manila time, the details were still a mystery, and he was already safely outside the country.

Zhao met with Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Frederick Go and SEC Chairperson Francis Lim. The focus of the visit, according to Zhao, centers around the SEC's recent final approval for Binance's local partner, BlockShoals Technologies Inc., to launch live operational testing under the "StratBox" regulatory sandbox framework.

(BitPinas has reported much about the Sandbox, I encourage everyone to check out past newsletter. If this was shared to you, don’t forget to subscribe!)

Why is this a big deal? For one absolute reason that no one, even his critics, can deny: CZ remains crypto’s undisputed and biggest name, consistently ranking as the industry’s most influential figure for the past seven years. As Coindesk once noted, Zhao’s exit from Binance did little to dim his prominence.

But that reality highlights a glaring contradiction: CZ is no longer the CEO of Binance. While he remains the ultimate beneficial owner, stepping away from an active leadership role was a strict, non-negotiable condition of his plea deal with U.S. federal authorities.

So what was the meeting all about? The only public detail anyone has is that single tweet from Zhao.

Yet, if one thing is clear, it signals exactly how high the stakes are for this new sandbox framework.

All eyes are watching closely how this will play out. From the unnamed VASP partner, to the outcome of the 90-day integration, to the specifics of the eventual launch…

The final half of the year is shaping up to be one of CryptoPH’s busiest yet.

(Also, in case you missed it, we recorded the full panel discussion of the SEC and Binance during the Blockchain Week. This is available on BitPinas here.)

BSP Project Agila Exposes Security Flaws & Throughput Caps in Wholesale CBDC Pilot

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has officially released its long-awaited Project Agila report, mapping out the roadmap for a wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency (wCBDC) built explicitly for bank-level securities settlements and high-value cross-border payments.

The proof-of-concept tests utilized Oracle's Hyperledger Fabric platform alongside six clearing giants: BDO Unibank, ChinaBank, Land Bank, RCBC, UnionBank, and Maya.

Full Story on BitPinas.

QR Ph Becomes the Dominant Payment Method for Local Businesses, Outpacing Credit Cards

Fintech infrastructure giant PayMongo dropped a market report revealing that QR Ph has become the top payment method among Philippine businesses. The national QR standard processed a staggering 55% of total payment volume during the first half of 2026.

The data marks a paradigm shift, with QR Ph growing from a mere 16% share in 2025, which is a 510% year-over-year growth trajectory. Conversely, e-wallets sat at 21%, while traditional credit cards dropped to 19%, suffering an 8% volume decline.

GMMG Launches Executive Technical Analyst Course to Bridge Local Risk Gaps Supported by PDAX

Global Miranda Miner Group (GMMG), supported by regulated exchange PDAX, launched the Crypto Technical Analyst Executive Course.

The inaugural cohort recently graduated at the PDAX office in Pasig City. Led by GMMG CEO Arlone Abello (popularly known as Coach Miranda Miner), the program utilizes their proprietary FEAST Trading System to train local doctors, lawyers, law enforcement agents, and mariners on market psychology, risk-reward ratios, and support levels. The curriculum also exposed students to low-risk alternative yield pathways on PDAX, such as tokenized Retail Treasury Bonds (RTBs). The next cohort is scheduled for July 11–12, with regional rollouts planned for Cebu, Davao, and Baguio.

Stellar Web3 Bootcamp Draws 100+ Active Software Engineers at PBW

Fintech training provider Rise In and Stellar Philippines hosted the comprehensive “Build on Stellar” developer bootcamp during Philippine Blockchain Week. The technical sprint drew 127 active participants to the SMX Convention Center, training software engineers on the installation and assembly of smart contract architectures using Soroban.

The event featured a specialized API infrastructure showcase led by Jason Lopez of the PDAX B2B team. Finalists from previous hacks presented working local prototypes, including low-bandwidth payment layer AbotPera and agricultural credit engine TyFi. The cohort is now moving into the APAC Stellar Hackathon pipeline, which features a $60,000 prize pool and will culminate in a live Demo Day inside the GCash corporate headquarters on July 18.

By: Paul Soliman (Founder, BayaniChain & Hacktiv Colab)

The Philippines does not lack ambition; what it often lacks is efficient, friction-free access to capital. This is where Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization changes the game, moving from a standard blockchain phrase into an actual engine for capital formation.

We are already ahead of our regional peers thanks to the SEC's CASP framework, which provides a solid legal base. However, a tokenized real estate pool or receivable fund is legally a security or debt instrument. The next vital step isn't just technology—it's RWA-specific legal clarity from our regulators to protect human dignity and fuel inclusive economic growth.

Read The Op-ED here.

Web3 Builders Gathered in Manila for Blockchain Impact 2026

The Blockchain Impact 2026 summit concluded its Manila edition over the weekend at the BGC Arts Center, drawing 500 registered builders, investors, and founders. The single-day event followed a prior iteration in Bangkok that recorded over 5,000 delegates. The Manila conference utilized an application-only attendance format to focus on decentralized infrastructure, venture capital, and real-world technology deployments.

What will you say to CZ if you meet him?

By Michael Mislos, Editor-in-Chief, BitPinas