Crypto PH News Recap: Apr. 14 – 20, 2025

From Worldcoin activities in Metro Manila to BitPinas Webcast, here are some of the crypto news from the Philippines from last week April 14 – 20, 2025).

Davao LGU Trains Developers in Blockchain

From April 7–11, 2025, the Davao City Local Government Unit (LGU) hosted the ICP Code Camp, a five-day immersive boot camp transforming government developers into blockchain builders. Held at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Building, it featured teams from departments such as the HRMO, City IT Center, and City Mayor’s Office.

Participants moved beyond lectures to hands-on coding—creating smart contracts, pitching blockchain use cases, and even minting NFTs.

Key speakers included Ferdie James Nervida (cybersecurity), Churchill Brizuela (NFT Davao), and Rod and Ed Albores (ReverionTech), along with Eli Rabadon, ICP tech lead, who flew in from Manila for deep technical training.

Paytaca Partnership with Hiverooms

Bitcoin Cash ($BCH) platform Paytaca recently partnered with Hiverooms, a Philippine startup offering a smart booking platform for hotels and rentals, allowing users to book 38 active properties and pay directly with Bitcoin Cash.

This integration adds to Paytaca’s growing network of more than 200 verified crypto-friendly merchants.

New CASP Draft Rules

The Philippine SEC released a revised draft of its rules for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), now titled “SEC Guidelines on the Operations of Crypto-Assets Service Providers,” introducing a ₱100 million minimum capital requirement, stricter compliance and operational frameworks, and more technical documentation for registration.

Notably, the SEC removed several previously broad policy sections, including explicit rules on advertising, insider trading, and ICO disclosures, in favor of detailed technical rules and risk controls.

Stakeholders are invited to submit feedback on the draft until April 26, 2025, through email or by visiting the SEC’s PhiliFintech Innovation Office in Makati.

Transcript: Donald Lim Keynote at PBW Press Launch

At the press launch of Philippine Blockchain Week (PBW) 2025, Donald Lim, COO of Dito CME and President of the Blockchain Council of the Philippines, emphasized the growing involvement of the government in blockchain initiatives and the importance of simplifying the technology to make it more accessible to the general public, highlighting partnerships with agencies like the SEC and DBM.

Lim also stressed the need for collaboration among government, private sectors, and users to drive blockchain adoption, comparing its potential to the early days of the internet. He praised the Philippines’ strong crypto and gaming communities, the support of key leaders like ICT Secretary Henry Aguda, and encouraged continued efforts to educate and unite stakeholders for a decentralized future through PBW 2025.

SparkPoint CEO: New PH Ambassador for Arbitrum

SparkPoint CEO Ismael Jerusalem has been named Arbitrum’s official ambassador in the Philippines, strengthening ties between global web3 infrastructure and local innovation.

With this role, SparkPoint noted that it will gain access to Arbitrum’s global network, developer resources, and funding opportunities. Moreover, the partnership will also unlock access to Arbitrum’s AI-powered blockchain tools.

Crypto News Recap | Worldcoin in Manila, UnionBank News, New Crypto Draft Rules from SEC

On April 15th, the BitPinas Webcast tackled Worldcoin’s iris-scanning activities in Manila, UnionBank’s quiet crypto rollout, and the SEC’s revised rules for crypto service providers, which raised key questions on privacy, adoption, and regulation in the Philippines.

The webcast featured guest speakers Jopet Arias (Crypto Art PH, TLYR Collective) and Eliezer Rabadon (DVCode, ICP Hub, Blockchain Council), who shared insights on the current local crypto and web3 industry landscape.