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

Nouriel Roubini’s firm to create digital token with climate goals—yes, you heard that right
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22 November, 2023

Nouriel Roubini’s firm to create digital token with climate goals—yes, you heard that right

Nouriel Roubini's Atlas Capital reveals plans for a "stablecoin" digital token called ACT, backed by a basket of "sophisticated climate...
Talking AI and blockchain with ChatBSV: ‘I was surprised nobody tried to do that yet’
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20 November, 2023

Talking AI and blockchain with ChatBSV: ‘I was surprised nobody tried to do that yet’

In this piece, CoinGeek’s Jon Southurst spoke to the lead developer of ChatBSV, Architectonic, about the broader thoughts on AI...
Bitwise Industries CEOs charged over fake financial records that put 900 out of work
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10 November, 2023

Bitwise Industries CEOs charged over fake financial records that put 900 out of work

Former Bitwise CEOs Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin, Jr. would face a hefty penalty of $250,000 and a 20-year jail...
Promoting BSV blockchain in the enterprise world—check out this ebook collection
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8 November, 2023

Promoting BSV blockchain in the enterprise world—check out this ebook collection

The BSV Blockchain Association, in partnership with Bryan Daugherty and BSV experts, launches an ebook series to help industry players...
‘A cool place for everyone’—Real World Podcasts is now Gibeo
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7 November, 2023

‘A cool place for everyone’—Real World Podcasts is now Gibeo

Gibeo has recently re-launched, and plans to onboard more creators, which is part of an overall improvement process its developers...
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty on 7 charges
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3 November, 2023

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty on 7 charges

Crypto's former wonder boy Sam Bankman-Fried could see himself landing in jail for 115 years after being found guilty of...