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

ShapeShift delists privacy coins Monero, Zcash and DASH over regulatory concerns
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12 November, 2020

ShapeShift delists privacy coins Monero, Zcash and DASH over regulatory concerns

ShapeShift has reportedly delisted a number of "privacy coins" from its platform due to regulatory risks associated with the use...
Theory of Bitcoin: The Bitcoin White Paper, second paragraph
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9 November, 2020

Theory of Bitcoin: The Bitcoin White Paper, second paragraph

Bitcoin is not "secured by cryptography"—that’s important to understand, and you will understand it better after watching the latest "Theory...
Huobi beset by reports of law enforcement action
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6 November, 2020

Huobi beset by reports of law enforcement action

Huobi has reassured customers that their assets stored in the platform's wallets were safe, following speculation that Robin Zhu was...
Watch Theory of Bitcoin: The First Paragraph – The Bitcoin White Paper
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2 November, 2020

Watch Theory of Bitcoin: The First Paragraph – The Bitcoin White Paper

Fundamentals are the theme for Dr. Craig Wright and Ryan X. Charles in the "Theory of Bitcoin: White Paper" series.
Bitcoin Association webinar talks Asia: How are you unlocking value in digital economy?
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30 October, 2020

Bitcoin Association webinar talks Asia: How are you unlocking value in digital economy?

Bitcoin Association’s latest webinar turns its focus towards the Asia-Pacific region and the projects that sometimes don’t get much airtime...
PayPal, the Bitcoin wallet that isn’t really
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30 October, 2020

PayPal, the Bitcoin wallet that isn’t really

A closer look at the conditions and permissions of PayPal’s “Crypto Currencies Hub” makes some wonder if there’s any point....