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

John Newbery follows Samuel Dobson out the door at BTC Core
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14 December, 2021

John Newbery follows Samuel Dobson out the door at BTC Core

John Newbery's announcement on December 11 follows closely behind that of Core code maintainer Samuel Dobson, and a few months...
Jack Dorsey hits Block on Square, sends Square Crypto into a Spiral
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2 December, 2021

Jack Dorsey hits Block on Square, sends Square Crypto into a Spiral

Days after quitting Twitter as CEO, Jack Dorsey has renamed his payments company Square to "Block," while its blockchain-related project...
Kleiman v Wright jury still out, what will they decide and how?
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30 November, 2021

Kleiman v Wright jury still out, what will they decide and how?

The jury is still deliberating on a verdict for the Kleiman v Wright trial, and their decision could change both...
Jack Dorsey quits Twitter: Will its treatment of BSV industry improve?
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30 November, 2021

Jack Dorsey quits Twitter: Will its treatment of BSV industry improve?

Jack Dorsey, who posted on Twitter that the notion of a company remaining "founder-led" could be "severely limiting," will remain...
Celsius CFO Shalem’s arrest confirmed in Israel, adding to customer concerns
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29 November, 2021

Celsius CFO Shalem’s arrest confirmed in Israel, adding to customer concerns

News reports have emerged that solidify arrest rumors surrounding Celsius Network CFO Yarom Shalem in Tel Aviv, allegedly in relation...
Reports of Celsius Network CFO’s arrest could signal more trouble for Tether
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25 November, 2021

Reports of Celsius Network CFO’s arrest could signal more trouble for Tether

Tether has provided a loan to Celsius Network and was the lead investor in a US$30 million funding round in...