I shared my candid vision for the intersection of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence with MGC and AlphaBaller. As the author of Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence, I drew upon my extensive experience in the blockchain space to critique the current state of our industry. I offered a structured roadmap for our future, highlighting the severe shortcomings of current decentralized models and the transformative potential of AI.
One of my most pointed observations is that much of the decentralization in Web3 is entirely fake. When I evaluate new projects, I frequently encounter centralized control disguised as distributed power. Flawed governance models and dysfunctional decentralized autonomous organizations prove that the industry has largely failed to deliver on its core promise. This gap between rhetoric and reality became the catalyst for my thinking about Web4. At the heart of my thesis is a simple but powerful idea. Artificial intelligence serves as the connective layer that Web3 has always lacked. In my framework, AI functions as the brain of the decentralized ecosystem. It provides natural language understanding, adaptive reasoning, and autonomous execution. I argued that human beings can no longer be trusted to make unbiased decisions for the ecosystem. Intelligent systems are required to evaluate proposals and execute tasks without the self-interest that plagues human-led governance.
I outlined a concrete architecture for what a Web4 blockchain could look like. The structure is divided into four distinct layers. At the top sits an interface layer designed for intent-based interaction and multi-chain operations. Below that is an agent layer where autonomous AI agents navigate protocols and manage cross-chain states. The protocol layer features programmable trust through AI-enhanced smart contracts and adaptive protocols. At the very bottom is the foundation layer, which handles decentralized storage and zero-knowledge data structures. Together, these layers form the foundation for a fully autonomous blockchain.
On the geopolitical stage, I acknowledged the United States’ dominance in AI fundraising and GPU infrastructure. I noted that adoption patterns differ across regions. When comparing the output of American frontier models against Chinese alternatives, I observed almost no difference in quality. I strongly suggested that users and developers consider Chinese models, as their output is nearly identical while the cost is significantly lower. Furthermore, I predicted that frontier AI models will eventually become free or nearly free. The current pricing is merely an early premium. Once that initial phase passes, nobody will pay high fees for API token credits.
Regarding the broader crypto market, I adopted a distinctly bearish short-term outlook. I strongly advised against dollar-cost averaging into the market at the current moment. I pointed to several impending liquidity drains, including massive initial public offerings from major tech companies and the upcoming World Cup. These events will pull capital away from digital assets. I predicted that Ethereum could drop to $400 or even lower. For Bitcoin, I suggested a bottom could form in the $45,000 to $55,000 range. I emphasized that there is no urgent need to buy the dip right now, as the market lacks fresh liquidity and positive catalysts.
Throughout the discussion, I returned to the theme of industry control. The crypto space has shifted from focusing on real-world use cases to endless player-versus-player memecoin trading. I blamed launchpads for accelerating this toxic cycle. To fix this, the industry needs people who genuinely believe in its mission. I warned that existing industry organizations remain too weak to drive meaningful change. Without proper controls and a foundation of trust, the industry risks undermining itself. I insisted that the crypto community must establish its own guardrails and self-regulate. Leaving regulatory decisions to government officials who do not understand decentralization will only lead to poor outcomes.
I closed the interview by urging listeners to define their investing style. I asked them to determine whether they are relying on luck or actual skill. I reminded the audience that true wealth in crypto is made by buying during moments of absolute market despair and selling during peaks of euphoria. My vision of Web4 offers a structured framework for integrating AI into decentralized systems. For anyone navigating the rapidly converging worlds of blockchain and artificial intelligence, my insights provide a valuable roadmap for the future.
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”.
About Anndy Lian:
Anndy Lian is an all-rounded business strategist in Asia. He has provided advisory across a variety of industries for local, international, public listed companies and governments.
What inspires you to write?
My writing is entirely driven by a desire to tackle systemic problems and demystify the complex technical realities shaping our society. When I look at the current digital landscape, I see an environment where users have been reduced to products and data refugees under the weight of surveillance capitalism.
What inspires me to put pen to paper is the belief that knowledge shared is power multiplied. I write to provide a rigorous, forward-thinking blueprint that gives individuals the tools to understand, challenge tech hype, and reclaim their digital sovereignty.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
When I look at authors and thinkers who influence my perspective, I am drawn to those who possess deep industry realism and refuse to get swept up in corporate or tech hype. I deeply respect pioneers, builders, and strategic minds who put in the work, say what they mean, and focus on practical frameworks over speculation.
My favorite literature consists of foundational whitepapers, rigorous economic models, and strategic treatises that analyze how human coordination, national-level regulation, and digital assets intersect to shape human civilization.
Robert Kiyosaki is one of my favourite. CZ Zhao has a good book too.
Tell us about your writing process.
My writing process is iterative, data-driven, and relies heavily on structural pressure testing. I spent three years and total of 23 versions finishing it. Because I write about bleeding-edge infrastructure and macroeconomic trends, my process begins with a raw critique of market conditions—such as tracking data extraction pipelines, analyzing validator concentration, or evaluating smart contract failures.
Once the core thesis is built, I write extensively to flesh out the concepts, and then I edit aggressively. For this book, I removed over 140 pages from the final draft simply to make it more “readable” and digestible for a mainstream audience. If a concept is too dense to be actionable for a builder or a policymaker, it gets cut.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
While I am a non-fiction writer, I do interact extensively with the “characters” of the machine economy: Autonomous AI Agents. My interaction with them involves rigorous behavioral modeling and game-theoretic pressure testing.
When mapping out scenes like the one in “A Day in the Life: 2035,” I am constantly evaluating how an agent like “Nate” would react to real-time supply chain data, health metrics, or zero-knowledge identity requests without human oversight. I don’t “talk” to them in a literary sense; instead, I simulate their algorithmic decision-making loops to ensure they remain cryptographically aligned with human stewardship rather than corporate exploitation.
What advice would you give other writers?
My primary advice is to write with skepticism and edit with courage. Do not write to simply repeat industry buzzwords or to flatter the pre-existing biases of your audience. If your work is going to be the basis for how people understand the future, it must survive intense internal stress tests.
Be willing to throw away entire sections of your work if they do not serve the reader’s clarity. If it takes you years and dozens of revisions to make a complex concept elegant and accessible, put in the work. True impact lies in execution and readability, not speculation.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
For my books, including Web4: The Age of Autonomous Intelligence, the decision of how to publish comes down to a balance of global accessibility, speed to market, and maintaining absolute content integrity. Because technology cycles move at an unprecedented velocity, waiting years in traditional publishing backlogs can render a forward-looking technological blueprint obsolete before it hits the shelves.
I opt for agile publishing frameworks across multiple digital formats (including PDF, Kindle, Mobi, and Epub) alongside physical rollouts (Hardback and Paperback) to ensure the community can access the insights instantly and globally. For new authors exploring the space, I highly advise prioritizing digital-first distribution and open accessibility. If your goal is to empower a global community, your infrastructure must allow you to bypass geographic and corporate gatekeepers seamlessly.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
The future of book publishing is on the verge of its own agentic turn. We are transitioning away from a passive distribution model toward an era of intelligent, context-aware content ingestion. By 2035, fully autonomous AI agents will account for a massive percentage of digital decision-making, and this includes how information is parsed and consumed.
Books will no longer be static, inert files sitting on a digital shelf. Instead, they will act as dynamic, verifiable knowledge repositories that personal AI agents can query, verify via cryptographic audit trails, and instantly synthesize to assist humans in real-time problem solving. The future of publishing belongs to authors who write structured, high-integrity content that can seamlessly integrate into the cognitive and trust layers of tomorrow’s web.
What genres do you write?: Bitcoin & Cryptocurrencies, Technology & Infrastructure, Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence, Decentralized Finance (DeFi) & Blockchain Governance, Macroeconomics & Digital Sovereignty
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”.
In the first half of 2024, Singapore’s cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors grew by 22%, reaching over US$200 million.
The MAS proposed a risk-based regulatory approach to enhance anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism.
Singapore has consistently positioned itself as a forward-thinking jurisdiction, balancing innovation with robust regulatory oversight. As a fellow Singaporean, I am very proud of its future planning.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is seeking submissions for the Consultation Paper on the proposed regulatory approach for Digital Token Service Providers (DTSPs) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2022.
Instead of replying to the submission directly, I will try to share my point of view openly here, offering insights, potential plans, and timelines for implementation. Before I start, I am sharing this in my personal capacity: I do not represent any self-claimed digital assets expert groups, associations, or schools.
License Application and Fee Structures
In the first half of 2024, Singapore’s fintech market saw its cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors achieve US$211.90 million across 72 deals, marking a 22% increase from US$166.30 million over 38 deals in the second half of 2023.
Singapore has been actively working on strengthening risk management frameworks for digital asset tokenization and has recently launched an initiative to expand asset tokenization within financial services.
The proposed license application processes and fee structures are crucial elements that will shape the DTSP landscape in Singapore. From my perspective, MAS should consider implementing a tiered approach to both timelines and fees, reflecting the diversity of DTSPs in terms of size, complexity, and risk profile.
For timelines, I propose a three-tier system:
Fast-track (60 days): For small, low-risk DTSPs with straightforward business models.
Standard (90 days): For medium-sized DTSPs or those with moderately complex operations.
Extended (120+ days): For large, complex DTSPs or those proposing novel business models.
This tiered approach would allow MAS to allocate resources efficiently while ensuring thorough vetting of more complex applications. The fee structures can follow a similar tiered system based on the DTSP’s annual revenue or transaction volume could be implemented.
Minimum Financial Requirements
The proposed minimum financial requirements are a critical safeguard against potential market disruptions and consumer losses. Based on my analysis, I believe a risk-based approach to setting these requirements is more feasible. This could involve:
Base Capital Requirement: A minimum base capital for all DTSPs, regardless of size or services offered.
Risk-Weighted Capital Requirement: Additional capital requirements based on the DTSP’s types of services offered, transaction volumes, and risk profile.
Liquidity Requirement: A minimum liquidity ratio to ensure DTSPs can meet short-term obligations.
Specifically, providers with capital ratios above 15% were 30% less likely to face operational disruptions during periods of extreme market stress. I propose that MAS consider setting the base capital requirement at SGD 250,000, with additional risk-weighted requirements that could increase this amount up to SGD 5 million for the largest and most complex DTSPs.
Audit Requirements
The proposed duties of CEOs, directors, and partners, along with audit requirements, are fundamental to ensuring good governance and accountability in the DTSP sector. The following enhancement is recommended for consideration:
Mandatory Training: Annual training programs for CEOs and directors on regulatory compliance, risk management, and emerging trends in digital assets.
Risk Committee: DTSPs above a certain size must establish a dedicated risk committee at the board level.
Independent Directors: Mandating a minimum number of independent directors based on the DTSP’s size and complexity.
Audit Frequency: Annual external audits for all DTSPs, with additional quarterly internal audits for larger providers.
Regulators are increasingly leveraging technological solutions to enhance their supervisory functions and manage vast amounts of data. Consequently, firms must engage more frequently with regulators regarding fintech and regtech developments.
Fintech companies that implement robust governance structures and conduct regular audits are indeed less likely to experience compliance breaches.
AML/CFT Measures
The measures proposed in parts 5–8 of the consultation paper, particularly those related to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), are crucial for maintaining the integrity of Singapore’s financial system. I propose the following enhancements:
Risk-Based Approach: Implement a tiered KYC/AML approach based on transaction volumes and risk profiles.
Technology Integration: Encourage the use of AI and machine learning for transaction monitoring and suspicious activity detection.
Regulatory Technology (RegTech) Sandbox: Establish a sandbox environment for DTSPs to test innovative compliance solutions.
For existing customers onboarded prior to licensing, I suggest a phased approach:
Phase 1 (0–6 months): Risk assessment of existing customer base
Phase 2 (6–12 months): Enhanced due diligence for high-risk customers
Phase 3 (12–18 months): Full compliance with new requirements for all customers
Correspondent Account Services
The proposed requirements for Correspondent Account Services and information sharing for law enforcement purposes are essential components of a comprehensive regulatory framework. Perhaps the following would help:
Standardized Data Format: Develop a standardized data format for information sharing across the industry.
Blockchain Analytics: Encourage the use of blockchain analytics tools to enhance transaction traceability.
Secure Information Sharing Platform: Establish a secure, centralized platform for information sharing between DTSPs and law enforcement agencies.
Blockchain analytics tools have been instrumental in recovering stolen or illicitly obtained digital assets worldwide. They allow law enforcement agencies to trace and identify suspicious cryptocurrency transactions on the blockchain, leading to asset recovery efforts.
Technology Risk Management
The draft notices FSM-N28 to FSM-N33 cover critical aspects of DTSP operations, including technology risk management, cyber hygiene, and conduct. Based on my observations, I propose the following:
Continuous Monitoring: Implement real-time monitoring systems for cyber threats and operational risks.
Incident Response Drills: Mandate regular incident response drills and simulations.
Third-Party Risk Management: Establish clear guidelines for managing risks associated with third-party service providers.
Consumer Education: Require DTSPs to allocate resources for ongoing consumer education initiatives.
Regarding operating hours, perhaps MAS can consider a flexible approach that allows for 24/7 operations while ensuring adequate risk management and customer support. This could involve:
Core operating hours (e.g., 9 AM to 5 PM SGT) with full support services
Extended hours with automated systems and on-call support
Scheduled maintenance windows during low-volume periods
Timeline for Implementation:
To ensure a smooth transition to the new regulatory framework, I propose the following timeline:
Month 0–3: Publication of final regulations and guidelines
Month 3–6: Industry consultation and feedback period
Month 6–9: Finalization of technical specifications and reporting formats
Month 9–12: DTSP preparation and system upgrades
Month 12–18: Phased implementation of new requirements
Month 18–24: Full compliance deadline for all DTSPs
This timeline allows for a gradual implementation, giving DTSPs sufficient time to adapt their systems and processes while ensuring that the regulatory framework is fully operational within two years.
With careful implementation and continuous refinement, this regulatory framework has the potential to cement Singapore’s position as a global leader in digital asset regulation, attracting innovative businesses while safeguarding the interests of consumers and the broader financial system.
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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