Jon Southurst is Associate Editor, Asia-Pacific at CoinGeek, the BSV blockchain news publication. Based in Tokyo, Japan, he covers Bitcoin and blockchain technology, artificial intelligence and agentic AI, and the digital economy — including stablecoins, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and asset tokenization — with particular attention to developments across Asia.

Jon has worked as a technology writer since 1994, beginning with geographic information systems (GIS), digital mapping, and statistical data for Australian telecommunications company Telstra, and technology articles for print newspapers in Australia and Canada.

He turned to Bitcoin full-time in 2013 as a reporter for CoinDesk, remaining there until 2015. Based in Tokyo during the collapse of the Mt. Gox exchange in 2014, he covered the story at close quarters and produced several now-iconic images from that period of Bitcoin’s history. He went on to report for Bitcoin.com and Bitcoinist (2015–16), then co-founded Bitsonline, serving as Senior Editor from 2016 to 2019. He joined CoinGeek in 2019.

Alongside his writing, Jon has presented and hosted video interview programs including BitcoinSVtrain and MetaNetTV on YouTube, and CoinGeek’s “The Bitcoin Bridge.” His interview subjects over more than a decade of reporting include venture capitalist Tim Draper, economist Steve Keen, entrepreneurs Halsey Minor and Michael Terpin, Lyn Ulbricht, Roger Ver, Craig Wright, and musician Perry Farrell.

His CoinGeek article marking the anniversary of Bitcoin’s Genesis Block from January 2020 was cited in “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology,” a digital assets report published by the White House in 2025.

Jon has reported from blockchain and finance conferences around the world, including Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, Tbilisi, Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Denver. He has appeared as a presenter and panelist at conferences in Seoul (2014) and Changsha (2016), and served as a panel moderator at the London Blockchain Conference in 2023 and 2024.

His areas of expertise include Bitcoin and blockchain systems, digital currencies, central banking and financial regulation, and the intersection of artificial intelligence with blockchain and digital payments. His current reporting focuses on BSV software and application development, agentic AI, and the emerging digital economy.

Article by Jon Southurst

Square is next in line for Craig Wright’s copyright enforcement action
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22 January, 2021

Square is next in line for Craig Wright’s copyright enforcement action

Dr. Craig Wright began to launch actions against various groups who make the Bitcoin white paper and related materials available...
Buckle your seatbelts: NY Attorney General to decide on Tether in 30 days
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20 January, 2021

Buckle your seatbelts: NY Attorney General to decide on Tether in 30 days

The outcome of the case could have a huge impact on digital asset markets, with Tether regarded as the asset...
Unbounded Capital ‘more bullish than ever’ on Bitcoin SV in 2021
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19 January, 2021

Unbounded Capital ‘more bullish than ever’ on Bitcoin SV in 2021

Unbounded Capital's Opportunity Fund grew 348.7% in 2020 and the company sees much promise for Bitcoin SV (BSV) in 2021.
The Bitcoin Bridge talks to Calvin Ayre about meeting Craig Wright and the value of big data
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18 January, 2021

The Bitcoin Bridge talks to Calvin Ayre about meeting Craig Wright and the value of big data

Ayre Group and CoinGeek founder Calvin Ayre talks to Jon Southurst about why he thinks the future lies in Asia...
Former Coinbase lawyer steps down as acting head of bank regulator OCC
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15 January, 2021

Former Coinbase lawyer steps down as acting head of bank regulator OCC

Prior to his appointment as Acting Comptroller in May 2020, Brian Brooks worked as general counsel at Coinbase.
Rumored new SEC head Gary Gensler could spell more regulation for digital asset industry
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13 January, 2021

Rumored new SEC head Gary Gensler could spell more regulation for digital asset industry

Gary Gensler’s rumored appointment could signal stricter rules for digital asset exchanges and projects to curb some of the industry’s...