In a sector where visibility increasingly doubles as validation, WeFi — a blockchain-based startup positioning itself as a “deobank” — used its Beyond Banking Summit to make a statement. Held in Bangkok on June 14, the event delivered both a Guinness World Record and a strategic attempt to reframe crypto banking for a more regulated, mainstream world.

WeFi brought together over 2,000 attendees at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center for a full-day program that blended crypto-native themes with mainstream cues: panel discussions on digital finance, product demos, stage time for its founding team, and appearances by entertainment figures including former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. The event culminated in a high-profile raffle, where a custom Ferrari was awarded to one attendee — a finale as deliberately attention-grabbing as the company’s broader messaging.

Whether this kind of staging signals serious fintech disruption or just savvy attention-seeking remains to be seen. But it reflects a clear trend: the blending of traditional financial narratives with the bold, sometimes brash playbook of Web3 marketing.

From Punchlines to Pitch Decks

The summit moved between spectacle and strategy — part live show, part attempt to position crypto banking as something ready for broader, more regulated markets. Between celebrity moments and crowd-pleasing theatrics, WeFi’s founders delivered a pitch that framed their platform as an alternative to legacy banks and, more pointedly, to neobanks — digital-first institutions that still rely on conventional financial infrastructure.

“We’re not patching the system,” said Reeve Collins, co-founder and one of the original architects of Tether. “We’re rebuilding it on-chain.”

The pitch centers on “self-custodial banking” — users holding their own assets while accessing familiar financial tools like cards, payments, and yields. According to CEO Maksym Sakharov, the platform offers up to 18% APY on stablecoin deposits by routing funds through DeFi protocols. That number, while eye-catching, also invites scrutiny: similar promises in crypto have historically attracted both retail excitement and regulatory concern.

“18% might sound too good to be true, but our infrastructure makes it possible,” said Sakharov. “Traditional banks hold onto the yield. We open access to it.”

[бэкграундно-автобиографический раздел про фаундеров, немного хвалебный - что это все благодаря его лидерским качестввам и тд. Может ненмого еще добавить инфы с вики, которую будем продвигать для Максима]

Big Promises, Bigger Questions

WeFi pitches itself as a solution for financial exclusion, pointing to the 1.4 billion unbanked people worldwide. But executing that vision at scale is less straightforward — especially as crypto firms face increasing regulatory pressure.

Rather than relying on regulatory gaps, WeFi is pursuing a distributed licensing strategy: it holds a Money Services Business (MSB) license in Canada, a VASP registration in the Czech Republic, and is actively seeking approvals in the UAE, EU, U.S., and Singapore. Users are routed through different legal entities depending on jurisdiction.

This modular approach is increasingly common among crypto banking platforms — flexible on paper, but still unproven at global scale. As regulators sharpen their focus on DeFi-powered products and stablecoin-based returns, WeFi’s ability to remain compliant across multiple regions will be a key test.

A Guinness Record, or a Calculated Signal?

The Guinness recognition — officially certified in person at the summit — gave WeFi a rare form of verified attention in a space where momentum often fades fast. The record, achieved during a livestreamed launch in Dubai two weeks prior, marked a high point for blockchain-related viewership on YouTube: 121,348 concurrent live participants.

It was a moment designed to resonate beyond crypto circles. In an industry still rebuilding its reputation, commanding a measurable, real-time audience created a kind of legitimacy that investor decks and whitepapers rarely do. The broader campaign — including the record, the Ferrari giveaway, and celebrity appearances — suggests WeFi understands that visibility is a part of the infrastructure challenge.

The livestream milestone didn’t offer guarantees about product traction or user retention. But it did create a bridge between two types of credibility: the crypto-native pursuit of reach and the institutional preference for tangible metrics. In a market crowded with abstract claims, a number like that — certified and public — carries unusual weight.

The Bigger Picture

WeFi is part of a broader class of crypto startups trying to reframe blockchain-based finance. The language has shifted: less about tokens and disruption, more about custody, licensing, and user protection. The goal goes beyond just differentiation — it’s recognizability to regulators, partners, and end users alike.

It’s a narrow lane. Lean too far into crypto culture, and you risk alienating mainstream audiences. Focus too much on compliance, and the product loses its edge.

Whether WeFi can hold that balance remains to be seen. But with its Bangkok summit, the company has positioned itself — at least for now — as one of crypto’s most visible experiments in crossing that divide.