Editorial staff
"If you're going to be buying bitcoin, look at it as a generation of bet. Look at it as a long term investment," advises Eugene Ng, Head of Business Development for APAC at Gemini, reflecting a philosophy that extends far beyond investment advice to encompass the entire cryptocurrency industry's approach to sustainable growth. With over 15 years of experience spanning traditional finance at Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and Citibank, followed by building institutional crypto adoption across Asia, Ng understands how short-term thinking consistently undermines long-term value creation.
"The ethos of Gemini really is to work with regulations. We like regulations. We welcome that," Ng explains, articulating a philosophy that positions regulatory compliance as competitive advantage. This mindset reflects broader sustainability principles that prioritize long-term stakeholder value over short-term profit maximization.
Environmental Responsibility Drives Institutional Adoption
Ng's experience building relationships with traditional financial institutions reveals how environmental considerations increasingly influence institutional decision-making. "A lot of these financial institutions feel very much comfortable with Gemini, because of our regulations and the fact that we play by the rules," he notes, highlighting how sustainability encompasses comprehensive stakeholder responsibility.
The cryptocurrency industry has undergone dramatic environmental transformation. Bitcoin mining now operates on 58-60% sustainable energy, with major companies like CleanSpark reporting 94% carbon-free power usage. Ethereum's transition to proof-of-stake reduced energy consumption by 99.9% overnight, demonstrating how technical innovation addresses environmental concerns while maintaining security.
"One of the things that they really want to figure out is the custody of the assets—who exactly hold these assets," Ng explains, noting how institutional due diligence now encompasses environmental impact alongside operational security. Institutions cannot partner with crypto firms that undermine their own sustainability commitments.
Sustainable Business Models Create Lasting Value
Ng's experience building Gemini's Asian operations, where the region became the fastest growing with a $50-75 million revenue pipeline, demonstrates how sustainable practices drive long-term success. His approach prioritized regulatory compliance and institutional relationships over rapid growth at any cost.
"When I first spoke with institutions six months ago, the response was very lukewarm. Fast forward today, they're actually sending us a lot of inquiries. It's all in-bound," Ng observes. This transformation required demonstrating consistent value and trustworthy operations over time, not aggressive marketing or unsustainable incentives.
The rise of regenerative finance illustrates how crypto innovation can actively support environmental objectives. Tokenized carbon credits have created new markets for environmental impact, with platforms retiring over 17 million tons of CO₂ offsets. Green DeFi platforms that channel capital into renewable energy projects create sustainable value propositions that attract institutional capital, contrasting with unsustainable models prioritizing short-term yields.
Regulatory Frameworks Enable Sustainable Growth
Ng's experience across Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and India reveals how thoughtful regulation supports sustainable crypto development. "Singapore has some very thoughtful regulations around cryptocurrency," he explains, noting how regulatory clarity enables sustainable business development.
The EU's MiCA regulation mandates sustainability disclosures for crypto assets, creating transparency for environmentally conscious investors. This mirrors traditional finance ESG requirements, as crypto companies like CleanSpark publish annual sustainability reports demonstrating industry maturation toward stakeholder capitalism.
The Crypto Climate Accord represents industry-wide recognition that sustainability requires collective action, with hundreds of organizations committing to net-zero emissions by 2030. Ng's observation that "we like regulations" reflects understanding that sustainable industries require clear frameworks supporting long-term value creation.
Institutional Adoption Through Sustainable Practices
Ng's institutional experience reveals how sustainability considerations increasingly determine crypto investment decisions. "The type of conversations are a lot deeper, a lot more thoughtful," he notes, describing how due diligence now encompasses environmental and governance factors alongside financial metrics.
Bitcoin ETF approval catalyzed institutional participation, with professional investors holding $27.4 billion by Q4 2024. However, the next phase focuses on ESG-compliant crypto products, as carbon-neutral Bitcoin ETFs and ESG-branded funds demonstrate how sustainability becomes a product differentiator.
Asian investors, with their emphasis on long-term wealth preservation, naturally align with sustainable approaches. "If you're going to be buying bitcoin, look at it as a generation of bet," Ng advises, reflecting cultural values that prioritize sustainable wealth creation over speculation.
Building for Generational Wealth Creation
Ng's most important insight concerns how sustainability creates generational wealth rather than temporary gains. "It's really increasing the Sharpe ratio of that entire portfolio. And with the innovation that we're seeing in crypto space today, you don't just buy bitcoin and hold it, there are so many other use cases," he observes.
The tokenization of real-world assets—including carbon credits and renewable energy projects—requires long-term thinking and stakeholder responsibility to create genuine value. Short-term speculation undermines the fundamental value proposition that attracts institutional capital.
"I think being in Singapore, it's really allowing Gemini to help Asians to access cryptocurrency more easily than ever before," Ng notes, emphasizing how sustainable business practices enable broader market access rather than limiting growth opportunities.
The Sustainable Future of Digital Finance
For Eugene Ng, sustainability isn't a constraint on crypto innovation—it's the foundation for long-term success. His experience bridging traditional finance and cryptocurrency markets reveals how sustainable practices ultimately determine which firms capture institutional capital and which face regulatory scrutiny.
"I feel like with any new asset class, volatility is something which is not uncommon," Ng observes, but sustainable business practices reduce volatility and create stable value creation over time. As the global crypto economy approaches $3 trillion, the firms and jurisdictions embracing sustainability will capture disproportionate market share.
Eugene Ng's generation-bet philosophy—combining long-term thinking, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder responsibility—provides the blueprint for building crypto economies that create lasting value rather than temporary speculation. The result is digital finance that honors both innovation and responsibility, exactly the sustainable foundation that attracts institutional capital and supports wealth creation across generations.
Editorial staff
