rewrite this title Beyond The Hype: Outset PR Identifies Localization, Engagement Gaps, And AI As Forces Reshaping Asian Crypto Media

by
Alisa Davidson

Published: December 24, 2025 at 9:40 am Updated: December 24, 2025 at 8:55 am

by Ana

Edited and fact-checked:
December 24, 2025 at 9:40 am

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December offers a natural moment to zoom out. Therefore Mpost took a fresh look at how Asia’s cryptocurrency-focused media dynamics unfolded after the second quarter of 2025.

According to Outset PR, a public relations agency specializing in Web3, there is no single “New York Times of crypto” in Asia. Instead, influence remains local, language-native, and market-specific. In its latest report, the agency explained that Asian crypto media is not converging toward a single global model. Markets are instead split into three distinct playbooks: venture-media complexes (as seen in Vietnam), exchange-anchored ecosystems (China, Hong Kong, Indonesia), and independent media operating under regulation (Japan, South Korea).

Global brands like CoinDesk and Cointelegraph play a secondary role in the region. The real influence is carried by local outlets, key opinion leaders (KOLs), and community channels, which operate in native languages and react faster to local developments.

In Vietnam and parts of Southeast Asia, venture capital and media merge into one funnel. Outlets like Coin68, Kyros, and IVY, along with their associated KOL networks, act as gateways to the wider retail audience.

In China and Indonesia, major exchanges function similarly to media holding companies. Players such as Bitget and Binance, along with their affiliates, fund newsrooms, own local media brands, and shepherd projects from investment through to exchange listing.

In contrast, regulation and culture in Japan and South Korea foster independent media. Public trust is concentrated in a small set of domestic outlets that prioritize compliance, accuracy, and low-hype coverage.

Generative AI is now increasing pressure on every model. As search traffic declines and zero-click answers grow, Asian outlets are responding by doubling down on human-driven commentary and making a long-term bet on building “entity authority” within AI systems.

Notably, Outset PR highlights that South Korea dominates in terms of attention, yet sustained on-chain engagement remains weak. Outset PR also found that while South Korea remains one of the most influential Web3 markets globally, Q2 2025 revealed a widening gap between attention and engagement, between narrative and utility, and between growth and retention.

Furthermore, AI is becoming an active distribution layer, reinforcing audience concentration and rewarding authoritative entities over those with mere reach, the experts note. Examining the evolving structure of cryptocurrency-focused media across regions, data from August to October shows the Asian crypto mediascape experienced a drop in total traffic. Despite this overall contraction, direct traffic remained steady at slightly over half of all visits, indicating that loyal readers continued to engage with their trusted outlets. Simultaneously, a new set of breakout publishers gained ground across multiple markets, illustrating a familiar pattern in Asia: attention is constantly reshuffled across a fragmented landscape, necessitating a localized, country-by-country playbook for media strategy and audience reach.

Outset PR reported that traffic fell by 14.51% from August to October, signaling that fewer casual readers entered the media funnel. As market interest cooled, visibility became more dependent on existing audiences than on new discovery. The agency also found that AI referrals reached 11.49% of traffic, establishing AI-driven discovery as a significant source. This shift means content structure now directly affects visibility, requiring publishers and PR teams to treat AI systems as a fundamental distribution layer.

The future of cryptocurrency-focused media in Asia will not be written by a single dominant voice but orchestrated by a chorus of local players. Success hinges on navigating a triple reality: deeply entrenched local ecosystems, the paradox of high attention but low engagement in key markets, and the urgent need to adapt to AI as a primary gatekeeper of information. For projects and communicators, this means that the blanket strategy is obsolete. The only viable path forward is a nuanced, country-specific approach that respects local authority, builds genuine community trust, and strategically optimizes for the algorithmic landscapes that now shape discovery.

Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.

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