Ship or Die at Accelerate 2025: Lightning Talk: Coins.ph (Wei Zhou - Coins.ph)

Wei Zhou, CEO of Coins.ph, unveils plans to integrate fiat payment systems into Solana's ecosystem, potentially opening up crypto access to over 2 billion users in developing markets. This groundbreaking initiative could dramatically accelerate Solana adoption in regions often overlooked by Western-focused projects.

Summary

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In his lightning talk at Accelerate 2025, Wei Zhou of Coins.ph outlined an ambitious plan to integrate fiat on-ramps and off-ramps for Solana in developing markets. Zhou emphasized the importance of focusing on users in countries like Nigeria, the Philippines, and Brazil, where the real growth potential for crypto lies.

The talk highlighted the disconnect between where capital is raised (typically in Western countries) and where the actual users are located (often in developing nations). Zhou stressed the need for projects to build for these markets to achieve true user growth and adoption.

Coins.ph aims to provide a solution by offering native integration of local payment systems into the Solana ecosystem. This would allow developers to easily incorporate fiat deposits and withdrawals in countries where Coins.ph is licensed to operate, potentially reaching over two billion users.

Zhou also discussed the importance of leveraging existing 24/7 fiat infrastructure in these countries, such as InstaPay in the Philippines or PIX in Brazil, to provide seamless and low-cost fiat-to-crypto transactions.

Key Points:

Focus on Developing Markets

Wei Zhou emphasized the importance of building for users in developing countries, where the real growth potential for crypto lies. He pointed out that while funding often comes from Western countries, the actual users are more likely to be found in places like Lagos, Manila, Sao Paulo, Accra, and Jakarta. This disconnect between funding sources and user bases is a critical consideration for crypto projects aiming for widespread adoption.

Zhou encouraged developers and projects to look beyond the Western markets and focus on regions where there's a higher potential for user growth. He stressed that building products tailored to these markets could lead to more significant user acquisition and engagement.

Integration of Local Fiat Systems

A core part of Coins.ph's strategy is to integrate local fiat payment systems into the Solana ecosystem. Zhou highlighted that many developing countries already have 24/7 fiat infrastructure in place, such as InstaPay in the Philippines, PromptPay in Thailand, and PIX in Brazil. These systems often offer near-zero cost transactions and are widely used by the local population.

By connecting Solana to these local fiat ecosystems, Coins.ph aims to provide seamless on-ramps and off-ramps for users in these countries. This integration would allow users to easily move between their local currency and Solana-based assets, potentially accelerating adoption and use of the Solana blockchain in these regions.

Developer-Focused Approach

Zhou outlined plans to create a developer stack for Solana that includes native integration of fiat payment systems. This approach is inspired by the developer ecosystems of platforms like Apple and Android, where payment integration is a core feature available to all developers.

By providing this functionality, Coins.ph aims to empower Solana developers to easily incorporate fiat deposits and withdrawals into their applications. This could potentially open up a wide range of new use cases and applications, particularly in markets where traditional banking services may be limited.

Expanding Licensed Coverage

Coins.ph is actively working on expanding its licensed fiat services to cover more countries. The company already has licenses in several key markets, allowing them to facilitate the exchange of local currencies for stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies.

Zhou emphasized that having these licenses is only part of the challenge. Equally important is ensuring fair pricing for stablecoin purchases in local currencies. By addressing both the regulatory and pricing aspects, Coins.ph aims to provide a more accessible and transparent on-ramp for users in these markets.

Facts + Figures

• Coins.ph aims to provide fiat on-ramps and off-ramps for Solana in developing markets
• The initiative could potentially reach over 2 billion users
• Coins.ph plans to integrate with local 24/7 fiat payment systems like InstaPay (Philippines), PromptPay (Thailand), SEPA (Europe), NIBS (Nigeria), and PIX (Brazil)
• The company is working on expanding its licensed fiat services to cover more countries
• The integration will allow for near-zero cost transactions between local fiat currencies and Solana-based assets
• Coins.ph plans to create a developer SDK for easy integration of fiat payments into Solana applications
• The company aims to provide both on-ramp (fiat to crypto) and off-ramp (crypto to fiat) services
• The integration will support stablecoins, allowing users to easily buy and sell USDC in their local currency
• Wei Zhou previously worked at Binance, where he launched fiat services in over 100 currencies worldwide

Top quotes

1. "The money is in the West. The capital is here. But if you want to grow your product on a fee model and you want capital density. But if you want to need users, you're probably building on the wrong continent."

2. "If we can basically connect Solana into that local fiat ecosystem, so not only do we get on-chain money, and actually get access to fiat money 24/7 at almost near zero cost."

3. "This is something that we want to put into the developer stack within the Solana ecosystem, such that you can actually, any developer can instantly access fiat currency deposit and withdrawal within the countries that were currently licensed to serve."

4. "It's really important for the developers in this room to think about sort of like, how can I localize my services in these regions? But to start off with is basically, how can I get access to the money, from the users into these regions?"

5. "We can actually bring a hosted experience so that the users actually stay within your app while we handle the compliance, the payment, and the delivery."

Questions Answered

What is Coins.ph planning to do for the Solana ecosystem?

Coins.ph is planning to integrate fiat on-ramps and off-ramps into the Solana ecosystem for developing markets. This integration will allow users in countries where Coins.ph is licensed to easily deposit and withdraw local fiat currency to and from Solana-based assets. The company aims to provide this functionality as part of a developer SDK, making it easy for Solana developers to incorporate fiat payments into their applications.

Why is Coins.ph focusing on developing markets?

Coins.ph is focusing on developing markets because that's where the real potential for user growth lies in the crypto space. While funding often comes from Western countries, the actual users are more likely to be found in places like Lagos, Manila, Sao Paulo, Accra, and Jakarta. By building solutions tailored to these markets, Coins.ph aims to tap into a large, underserved user base and drive adoption of Solana in these regions.

How will Coins.ph's integration work with local payment systems?

Coins.ph plans to integrate with existing 24/7 fiat payment systems in various countries, such as InstaPay in the Philippines, PromptPay in Thailand, and PIX in Brazil. These integrations will allow users to make near-instant, low-cost transfers between their local currency and Solana-based assets. Users will be able to scan a QR code with their local payment app or banking app to initiate deposits or withdrawals, making the process seamless and user-friendly.

What benefits does this integration offer to Solana developers?

This integration offers Solana developers an easy way to incorporate fiat payments into their applications. By using Coins.ph's SDK, developers can enable users to deposit and withdraw local fiat currency directly within their apps. This functionality can potentially open up new use cases and make Solana-based applications more accessible to users in developing countries who may not have easy access to other crypto on-ramps.

How many potential users could this integration reach?

According to Wei Zhou, Coins.ph's integration could potentially reach over 2 billion users. This estimate is based on the population of the countries where Coins.ph is currently licensed or planning to expand its services. By tapping into these large, developing markets, the integration could significantly increase the user base for Solana-based applications and services.