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

Taiwan police say 320 million Tether money laundering case is a new record
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2 November, 2023

Taiwan police say 320 million Tether money laundering case is a new record

40-year-old Qiu, who claims to be a water merchant, is said to have received funds from groups involved in criminal...
Biden’s new executive order to regulate AI development—but we need oversight for everyone
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31 October, 2023

Biden’s new executive order to regulate AI development—but we need oversight for everyone

The Biden administration's new standards will force AI system developers to report to the federal government on their progress, and...
BSV Blockchain Association explains recent network ‘congestion’
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26 October, 2023

BSV Blockchain Association explains recent network ‘congestion’

At the time of writing, the BSV blockchain processed around 90 million transactions in the past 24 hours, or a...
Block Dojo shows off blockchain tech’s versatility at first Virtual Seed Demo event
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26 October, 2023

Block Dojo shows off blockchain tech’s versatility at first Virtual Seed Demo event

Block Dojo held its Virtual Seed Demo on October 24, introducing six startups gradually making waves in the blockchain space...
Blockchain digital certificates can make interactions more secure in Web3—and real-life
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25 October, 2023

Blockchain digital certificates can make interactions more secure in Web3—and real-life

Just as today's PKI-based certificate authority and digital certificates verify identities and trust, blockchain's more efficient solution can prove its...
Australia’s new regime proposal to bring digital asset platforms in line with financial laws
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18 October, 2023

Australia’s new regime proposal to bring digital asset platforms in line with financial laws

The Australian Federal Government suggested a new type of financial product called a "digital asset facility" that would bring digital...