Building communities and navigating the future of Web3: Insights from Anndy Lian at Hong Kong Consensus 2025

Building communities and navigating the future of Web3: Insights from Anndy Lian at Hong Kong Consensus 2025

The Hong Kong Consensus 2025 spotlight stage was abuzz with energy as industry leaders gathered to discuss the future of Web3. The event featured a presentation by Thomas Kay, Vice President of WEEX Global, followed by a fireside chat with Anndy Lian, a best-selling author and prominent figure in the blockchain space.

While Kay’s presentation highlighted WEEX Global’s impressive growth trajectory and innovative features, it was the fireside chat with Lian that truly captivated the audience, offering deep insights into community building, the evolving role of exchanges, and the future of Web3 projects.

WEEX global: A brief overview

Kay opened the session with an overview of WEEX Global’s journey since its inception in 2018. The exchange has grown exponentially, boasting over 6 million users globally and a daily trading volume of US$5 billion.

With a focus on providing top-tier liquidity, a vast array of trading pairs, and innovative features like 400x leverage, WEEX has positioned itself as one of the fastest-growing exchanges in the world. Kay also emphasised the platform’s commitment to security, highlighting their 1,000 BTC protection fund and robust risk control systems.

While the presentation showcased WEEX’s achievements and future plans, including global expansion and compliance efforts, the real highlight of the session was the fireside chat with Lian.

Fireside chat: The art and science of community building

The fireside chat began with Kay asking Lian about the challenges of building communities in the Web3 space. Lian, known for his candid and insightful commentary, didn’t hold back.

“Building a community is a lot tougher than people think,” Lian remarked. He explained that the landscape has evolved significantly since 2018. Back then, users were less informed, and it was easier to attract them with simple incentives like airdrops.

Today, however, users are more sophisticated and demand real value. “You can’t just throw airdrops at people and expect them to stay. Communities need to be built on trust, value, and long-term vision,” he added.

Lian emphasised the importance of creating a loyal community that aligns with the project’s goals. “We don’t need communities that come for the incentives and leave the next day. We need communities that stay because they believe in what you’re building,” he said.

The role of exchanges in community building

Kay and Lian also discussed the role of exchanges in fostering strong communities. Kay noted that WEEX is committed to supporting projects that prioritise community engagement. “We want to back projects that are building loyal communities, not just chasing short-term gains,” he said.

Lian agreed, highlighting the need for unity within the Web3 ecosystem. “Exchanges, big projects, and smaller projects need to work together. Emerging markets like Russia, Kenya, and Brazil offer immense potential, and collaboration can unlock new opportunities,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of transparency, particularly when it comes to listing fees. “Normies are getting smarter. They’re asking tough questions about how exchanges operate, and transparency is key to building trust,” he noted.

The future of exchanges: Security and accessibility

When asked about the future role of exchanges in the Web3 space, Lian identified two key areas: security and accessibility. “Users want exchanges that offer an extra layer of security. They also want seamless on-ramp and off-ramp solutions to move their funds safely and efficiently,” he explained.

Kay echoed this sentiment, pointing to WEEX’s efforts to enhance security through their protection fund and compliance initiatives. He also acknowledged the challenges posed by “key opinion leaders” (KOLs) who often prioritise short-term traffic over long-term value. “Not every KOL is worth partnering with. We focus on working with genuine users and communities,” he said.

Memes as a gateway to Web3

The conversation then shifted to the role of meme coins in the Web3 ecosystem. Lian described meme coins as “door openers” that attract new users to the space.

However, he cautioned that their success depends on strong community backing and a clear roadmap. “A typical roadmap starts with a meme, followed by utility, and eventually evolves into something bigger, like merchandise or even global franchises,” he said.

Lian shared an example of how a meme-based project could transition into a sustainable business. “Imagine an ‘Anndy Café’ that becomes a global clubhouse for networking. The revenue from the café could be used to support the project, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem,” he suggested.

He also highlighted the importance of partnerships in ensuring the longevity of meme projects. “If you’re not in the top 300 or 500, survival is tough. Partnering with exchanges and other Web3 players can make a big difference,” he said.

The challenges of sustainability

Lian didn’t shy away from addressing the challenges faced by Web3 projects. He criticised projects with poor leadership and no clear plans for sustainability. “Most memes fail because they have no roadmap and no real leaders. They’re just boosting sentiment without delivering results,” he said.

He urged projects to focus on building real value for their communities. “Your community should work for their own bags. If they’re invested in the project’s success, it will last much longer,” he said. He also called on exchanges to prioritise quality over quantity when listing projects. “Instead of giving money to KOLs, give it to the projects that are building something meaningful,” he suggested.

Transparency and trust: The way forward

The fireside chat concluded with a discussion on the importance of transparency in the Web3 space. Lian praised WEEX for its efforts to be transparent about its operations and partnerships. “Transparency builds trust, and trust is the foundation of any successful community,” he said.

Kay agreed, emphasising that WEEX is committed to supporting projects that align with their values. “We’re not just looking for short-term gains. We want to build long-term partnerships with projects that share our vision,” he said.

Final thoughts

The fireside chat between Kay and Lian at Hong Kong Consensus 2025 offered a wealth of insights into the challenges and opportunities in the Web3 space. From the importance of community building to the evolving role of exchanges, the discussion highlighted the need for collaboration, transparency, and long-term vision.

As the Web3 ecosystem continues to grow, the lessons shared by Lian and Kay will undoubtedly serve as a valuable guide for projects, exchanges, and communities alike. Whether it’s through innovative features, strong partnerships, or a commitment to transparency, the future of Web3 will be shaped by those who prioritise value and trust above all else.

 

Source: https://e27.co/building-communities-and-navigating-the-future-of-web3-insights-from-anndy-lian-at-hong-kong-consensus-2025-20250326/

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

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Consensus Hong Kong 2025: Fireside chat with Anndy Lian

Consensus Hong Kong 2025: Fireside chat with Anndy Lian

 

Fireside Chat: Community, Exchanges, and Sustainability in Web3

The fireside chat between Thomas Kay and Anndy Lian delved into the challenges and opportunities in the Web3 space. The conversation began with a discussion on community building.

Anndy Lian video timeline:

13:01 – “Building Community is a lot tougher than a lot of you guys think, especially comparing now to 2018 when huge influence of users are coming into the web3 space without much knowledge. But right now a lot of the users are actually a lot more educated.” – Anndy Lian
13:23 – “To really build a strong Community, you need to provide enough value for them. It’s not just like you have some airdrops, everybody just come to my community and then they stay with you. We don’t need this kind of community. We want communities that stay with you because of who you are or what you provide for them long term.” – Anndy Lian
15:51 – “If your community is built based on incentives, they’re not loyal. That’s basically someone that comes to you today for airdrops will go to another Community next day for another airdrop. That’s not something that we really look for.” – Anndy Lian
16:06 – “We want to back projects as much as possible to really build a very loyal community.”
16:14 – “Unity is the most important thing. Whenever I see a very good Community, not so much of a project to be honest, because if the project is good usually I think the community is actually walking the talk.” – Anndy Lian
17:03 – “If it’s real community members, you can see the action that they do, the kind of feedback that they give is very different. I treasure those.” – Anndy Lian
17:54 – “I definitely do hope you guys go the route where you guys really build a Unity community and not just a quick one-two months projects and then you move on to the next. I think that’s something that really should change in the space.”
18:25 – “It’s actually very obvious that users are looking for exchanges who can offer them an extra layer of security.”
18:44 – “What people really really want is about accessibility on-ramp, off-ramp. If an exchange is able to provide that additional punch to make sure that the money can safely flow out through a legitimate way, I think that would be a big plus.”
19:34 – “The KOLs are just like butterflies, they shift from A to B to C with the same users. Sooner or later exchanges’ role is also to help us see out what are the good KOLs that you should really talk to and work with.” – Anndy Lian
20:09 – “You become a really healthy flow of user base within the space. I see that in Asia a lot. I’m very active in South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia. You see that the trend is very obvious – they’re looking for an exchange that they can be with for a long time.”
23:05 – “We see meme coins as a door opener. It’s an easy entry. People can explain very very well. The people I met are very enthusiastic.”
23:20 – “How these memes can survive depends on how many members you can get and what is the kind of narrative that you can provide. A typical roadmap is start with a meme followed by a nice utility.”
24:29 – “There should be a journey for all these memes to carry on because most of the memes, if you are not the top 300 or 500, there’s no way you can survive. So if you need to survive, you need to partner.” – Anndy Lian
25:11 – “Ultimately, you get your community to work for their own benefit. If they can work for their own benefit, the sustainability of the project can go a lot longer, super long. It could last to the next cycle. The problem with projects nowadays is that they have a nice meme, just a nice meme, but they have no plans, they have very poor leaders that don’t know anything apart from just posting ‘I’m feeling good today, the meme is very happy.’ We don’t want to hear this. We want to see price action, we want to see real Partnerships.” – Anndy Lian

Special thanks to Full Value Dan and his team for the team. Read the full article on https://anndy.com/event/consensus-2025-whats-next-for-weex-presented-by-thomas-kay-fireside-chat-with-anndy-lian/

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

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Anndy Lian on the Future of Web3: Community, Transparency, and Sustainability at Hong Kong Consensus 2025

Anndy Lian on the Future of Web3: Community, Transparency, and Sustainability at Hong Kong Consensus 2025

Anndy Lian, a best-selling author and blockchain strategist, shared his pointed perspectives on the evolving Web3 landscape during a fireside chat at the Hong Kong Consensus 2025. The event, which also featured a presentation by Thomas Kay, Vice President of WEEX Global, provided a platform for Lian to delve into critical topics such as community building, the changing role of exchanges, and the long-term sustainability of blockchain projects.

Community is King: Beyond Incentives and Towards True Engagement

Lian immediately addressed the challenges of building authentic communities in the current Web3 environment. He acknowledged that users are far more sophisticated than in the early days of crypto, demanding more than just airdrops and fleeting incentives. He agreed with Thomas Kay’s point that building a strong community requires providing genuine, long-term value. “It’s not easy to really build effectively,” Lian stated, emphasizing the need for “unity” within the ecosystem. He suggested that larger, more established exchanges should actively support smaller, promising projects, particularly those in emerging markets like Russia, Kenya, and Brazil.

Lian believes that genuine community engagement is the key to identifying promising projects. He shared, “Whenever I see a very good community…it will be easier for us to spot good projects on X,” highlighting the importance of observing real user activity and feedback, as opposed to artificial engagement from bots. He treasures the input from genuine community members, believing it’s a crucial indicator of a project’s potential.

The Evolving Role of Exchanges: Transparency and User Trust

The conversation then turned to the critical role of cryptocurrency exchanges in the Web3 ecosystem. Lian highlighted the growing demand for exchanges to provide not only security but also accessibility, especially regarding the often-complex processes of on-ramping and off-ramping funds. He stated that users want to know that their money can “safely flow out through a legitimate way.”

Lian also predicted a shift away from exchanges heavily reliant on Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) or influencers. He argued that KOLs often act like “butterflies,” flitting between projects and bringing the same audience with them, ultimately providing little unique value. He believes that exchanges have a responsibility to help users identify genuinely valuable projects and partners.

Perhaps most strikingly, Lian revealed that everyday users (“normies”) are becoming increasingly savvy about the inner workings of exchanges. He shared that he frequently receives questions in AMAs and private groups about exchange listing fees, with users questioning whether exchanges are prioritizing revenue over genuine community support. “Normies are actually asking these questions,” he emphasized, underscoring the growing demand for transparency in the industry. He believes this is “one important metric that we should share,” and that “things should be transparent.”

Memes as a Gateway, But Sustainability is Key

On the topic of meme coins, Lian acknowledged their role as an accessible “door opener” to the crypto world, attracting new users with their fun and relatable nature. However, he cautioned that long-term survival requires more than just initial hype. He believes that successful meme projects need a clear roadmap, strong leadership, and a focus on building a genuine community.

Lian proposed innovative models for meme coin sustainability, such as creating real-world extensions like franchise cafes or merchandise lines. These ventures, he argued, could create a “sustainable business” where the community actively participates and benefits, ensuring the project’s longevity. He used the example of an “Anndy cafe” as a global clubhouse, networking with exchanges and partners.

He was critical of projects that lack concrete plans and rely solely on fleeting trends. “We want to see price action, we want to see real partnerships,” he asserted, highlighting the need for projects to collaborate with exchanges and other entities to create genuine value. He cautioned against prioritizing superficial influencer marketing over genuine community benefit, stating, “If you want to be sustainable, you have a big community, make sure that you can monetize that.” He believes that projects should focus on benefiting their communities directly, rather than funneling resources to influencers who may not have the community’s best interests at heart.

A Call for Candor and Collaboration

Lian’s overall message was one of collaboration, transparency, and a focus on long-term sustainability. He emphasized the need for open and honest conversations about the challenges and opportunities within the Web3 space, even touching on potentially controversial topics like exchange listing fees. His concluding remark, “I hope everybody can do well in this run,” reflected his hope for a future where projects, exchanges, and communities work together to create a thriving and equitable ecosystem. He believes that walking the talk and benefiting the community is the right path. He also mentioned that he is not against KOLs or influencers, but if a project wants to be sustainable, it has to monetize its big community.

 

Video Source: https://consensus-hongkong2025.coindesk.com/agenda/event/-weex-sponsored-session-92 (Official Video from Consensus 2025)

 

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

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