Seoul, Sept 13 (Cryptopolitan) – It’s a wet, gray September afternoon in Seoul, and the city is settling back into its usual routine after the Korea Blockchain Week.
Most attendees have already packed their bags and left for Singapore’s Token2049, but we’re still here, and there’s one reason for that: Fireant.
The legendary and anonymous Korean crypto key opinion leader (KOL) has agreed to meet with us in his downtown office.
He’s famously private, and even as we step into his personal space, there’s an eerily quiet sense that we’re entering a world few have ever been allowed to see.
Fireant is one of the oldest and most respected voices in the Korean crypto community. No one knows who he really is, yet everyone knows him. He moves in the shadows, yet his influence is undeniable.
Today, we get to talk to him about everything. From how he started to what drives his vision for the future of crypto. We’re also gonna ask him which ecosystem he likes the most.
The lore
“I started in crypto in 2016 because of my father,” Fireant tells us, without hesitation. “My father invested in crypto first, but my mother was worried. She asked me to stop my father from investing, so I began studying it seriously.”
That was the beginning of a journey that would transform Fireant from a curious onlooker to one of Korea’s most trusted crypto analysts.
He didn’t get his start the way most of us did, stumbling into exchanges or watching YouTube videos, or seeing a cousin’s Bitcoin profits in 2021.
No, Fireant went straight for the source. “I studied the Bitcoin and Ethereum whitepapers deeply,” he says. “When I read those papers, I realized that crypto made sense.”
When we ask about his name, Fireant explains that retail investors in Korea are often called “ants.” “My friend once said I was like a fire-ant because I was always moving, always in the market.”
And the rest is history. The name stuck. Now, it’s a brand.
Fireant’s favorite ecosystem
“So, which crypto ecosystem does Fireant likes the most?” we ask. The answer is simple, but it comes with a twist.
We watch as he types his response into a translator to double-check specific words and phrases before responding, careful so as to not make a mistake with what he wants us to understand.
“I don’t care about the ecosystem. I care about making money. If there’s an opportunity, I’ll go to any ecosystem.” Yet, he does have a preference. “I lean toward the Ethereum ecosystem. I believe DeFi is the future. DeFi will change the legacy money market,” he says.
Fireant truly believes that:
“Ethereum has the potential to disrupt how money flows around the world.”
With a tiny chuckle, he makes it clear that he’s not married to Ethereum though. “If another ecosystem offers a better opportunity, I’ll go there too. But for now, Ethereum is my favorite.”
When pressed on what’s next in crypto, Fireant leans back thoughtfully. “DeFi,” he utters after a few seconds.
“I think it’s a past narrative, but it will boom again. Investors are drawn to DeFi because they get better returns than banks offer. Right now, DeFi is struggling because of high interest rates, but when the Federal Reserve starts cutting rates, DeFi will take off again.”
He pauses a bit before adding that:
“DeFi’s success will drive Ethereum Layer 2 solutions. We’ll see a rise in both.”
Meme coins and trading success
Fireant has also made a name for himself trading meme coins. When we ask why he got into the chaotic world of meme coins, he grins, then shrugs. “I trade where there’s opportunity.”
He breaks it down: “I don’t use Pump.fun much, because I prefer trading on centralized exchanges (CEX) using on-chain data.”
Fireant doesn’t follow the hype blindly. He watches what’s happening on-chain, tracking which coins are being accumulated by large entities. “If I see a single entity holding a lot of tokens, I pay attention,” he says.
He’s a data-driven trader, and it’s that sharp focus on metrics that’s helped him win where others have lost. Simple, effective, and not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Building a community, not just a brand
Fireant has built one of the oldest and most active crypto communities in the country, where traders gather to share ideas and strategies.
When asked if he plans to monetize or expand his brand through merchandise or events, Fireant is quick to clarify his intentions. He cringes as he says:
“I’m focused on growing my community, not on creating a business from it. It’s more important to increase unity and share knowledge.”
He works closely with his community, often trading alongside them. “We’re all members, and we all share ideas. There’s no hierarchy. That’s the strength of our community,” he explains with a smile.
Like the rest of us, Fireant has also been watching the disaster that is 2024 politics, particularly in the U.S. When asked about the upcoming election, he tells us that:
“If I were American, I’d vote for Trump. He’s positive about crypto. I believe if Trump wins, maybe regulation will be more clear. That’s very important because big businesses in crypto need clear regulation. If regulation isn’t clear, nobody can start or build anything. Builders worry that if they make a new business or company with no regulation, eventually, when regulation comes in, their business could turn illegal. That’s why I support Trump.”
Fireant believes Korea’s regulatory framework could learn a thing or two from this approach. “Korean regulations right now are all about protecting users, but they need to focus on helping builders too.”
He explains that institutional investors in Korea are hesitant to get involved with tokens because the rules are vague. “If Korea wants to lead, it needs clearer rules.”
Despite the challenges, Fireant remains committed to his home country. “I’m Korean, and my first language is Korean. I started here, and I’ll stay here,” he says proudly.
But that doesn’t mean he’s against expansion. When asked if Korean projects should consider going to Dubai for its crypto-friendly regulations, Fireant is open to the idea.
“Dubai is interesting, but Korean culture and regulation are hard for outsiders to understand. It’s not easy to bridge that gap.”
As our interview winds down, we ask Fireant to drop something for the readers. “I believe the Ethereum ecosystem will remain dominant,” he tells us confidently.
“Solana is valuable, but it’s focused on consumer applications, not DeFi.” Ethereum, on the other hand, aligns perfectly with decentralized finance, and that’s why Fireant likes it.
He attends blockchain events regularly, but he prefers staying close to home. “I like Korea Blockchain Week. I don’t like traveling too far. I get sick when I go overseas.”
And his favorite food? “Kimchi. Kimchi soup, to be specific,” he says with a grin.
Written by Yaroslav Belkin and Jai Hamid
