When governments participate in blockchain development, whether it be for payments or identity, it sends a powerful acceptance message to the industry. Sign is one company that has received the message loud and clear.
Backed by Binance’s CZ via YZi Labs, Sequoia, and Circle, Sign is a leader in developing national use blockchain cases. Leveraging its core technology that underpins more than $4 billion in verified token distributions, Sign has developed projects in Thailand, Sierra Leone, and the UAE, and integrated with Singapore’s Singpass under the Electronic Transactions Act.
Co-founder Xin Yan discusses Sign, coming trends, and the growth of national interest in blockchain-based systems.
Please give me some background on you and Sign. What were some of the formative career experiences that have brought you to this moment?
“I’ve always believed the real value of blockchain is making important information verifiable at a global level, not just financial transactions. My time in engineering, mining, and investing taught me how to build systems that are practical and scalable. TokenTable showed us we could operate at massive scale, which naturally led to S.I.G.N., where we apply the same capabilities to help governments modernize their digital infrastructure.”
What were your early thoughts about blockchain technology? Did you have an “aha” moment, or was it a gradual appreciation?
“My understanding of blockchain started with mining in 2017, when I saw how one could build something and see the results instantly, unlike traditional hardware work. The real ‘aha’ moment came later, when I realized blockchain wasn’t just about tokens but about creating information that the whole world can verify. That idea stayed with me and eventually shaped everything we built at Sign.”
Governments can often be slower to act on technological trends. Why are they quickly acting on blockchain?
“Governments are moving faster on blockchain because it solves problems they can’t ignore anymore, like the high cost of relying on foreign payment systems and the lack of control over their own financial infrastructure. Many countries also see blockchain as a way to leapfrog outdated IT systems and upgrade directly to a cheaper, safer, and easier-to-maintain solution.
“A big part of the shift comes from how quickly USD stablecoins are growing, which is forcing real conversations about monetary sovereignty. For many governments, it’s become a wake-up call to build their own digital infrastructure instead of letting external systems define their financial future. With the global political climate signalling that digital assets are now acceptable, the technology feels both low-risk and high-impact for national modernization.”
Talk about some of the governments and regions that are taking the lead and being the most progressive. Do they share qualities?
“Some of the most progressive governments we work with include places like the Kyrgyz Republic, Sierra Leone, Barbados, the UAE and Thailand. They tend to share a few qualities: they want to modernize quickly, they’re pragmatic about leapfrogging outdated systems, and they care deeply about digital and monetary sovereignty. These countries are also generally more open-minded and willing to adopt new infrastructure if it helps them move faster than traditional paths allow.”
What are some of the most realistic use cases? CBDCs? Asset registries? National identities?
“The most realistic use cases we see governments moving forward with are CBDCs, national digital IDs, and asset registries. CBDCs and digital payments solve immediate needs like efficient distribution of welfare and interbank settlement, while digital identity systems enable secure verification for things like visas and public services. Asset registries are also gaining traction because putting land titles or government assets on-chain reduces fraud and makes national records far easier to manage.”
Please discuss how the solutions from the last question can best benefit people in developing regions.
“People in developing regions benefit immediately when information, money, and assets can move faster, because the speed of circulation directly shapes the pace of economic growth. CBDCs, digital IDs, and on-chain asset systems remove the bottlenecks, giving citizens cheaper transactions, quicker access to services, and more economic opportunities. When a country boosts the velocity of its assets and information, the entire population will benefit.”
One worry about digital payments and CBDCs is that governments are designing them in such a way to control behavior. Are there methods to safeguard against that?
“People often underestimate how much governments focus on real economic growth, and most of these digital infrastructure projects are designed to improve efficiency and national competitiveness, which ultimately benefits citizens far more than it harms them.
“Privacy concerns are valid, but there are concrete technical safeguards, like keeping CBDC transactions on private channels and using zero-knowledge proofs so individuals can verify what’s needed without exposing personal data. With the right design, countries can modernize their financial systems while still protecting individual privacy.”
Talk about the important signal national projects send about blockchain.
“When a government adopts blockchain for national infrastructure, it signals that the technology has moved past experimentation and is now seen as strategically important. These projects show that blockchain can deliver real-world value at population scale, not just within the crypto circle. They also set the tone for future global standards, pushing blockchain toward becoming a foundational layer for digital sovereignty and modern financial systems.”
What can we expect to see in 2026 across the industry? What technologies or developments are you watching that excite you the most?
“In 2026, the global economy will move further into full digitalization, which provides the context for the specific developments we expect to see real-world adoption move much faster, with stablecoins used in everyday transactions and more real assets being documented and settled on-chain.
“At the same time, liquidity will start concentrating on one or two ultra-fast chains where most assets and activity naturally gather. The industry is finally shifting toward real utility, and the foundations for a global on-chain financial system are being formed.”