When a crypto project wants to partner with Coins.ph, it doesn’t just need funding or hype. It needs to pass a rigorous filter, one shaped by regulation, reputation, and relevance to Filipino users.
Not every crypto leader entered the space with a grand vision. Some arrived during quiet seasons, learned by observation, and grew into the work over time. Their value doesn't start out loud, but it runs deep.
Emmanuel "Eman" Ignacio is one of them. At Coins.ph, he now helps decide which projects the platform supports, but his journey began in the background, reading SOPs, watching YouTube videos, and figuring things out on his own.
At the Sonic Meetup Davao, hosted by Bitskwela and powered by Davao DeFi Community, we were able to get an exclusive interview with Eman Ignacio to learn more about how Coins.ph operates and what's next for the exchange.
Today, that behind-the-scenes mindset defines his approach to business development: skeptical of surface-level hype, anchored in research, and focused on protecting a user base that often learns the hard way.
From Intern Curiosity to Long-Term Conviction
“I didn’t know anything about Axie [Infinity]. I didn’t even know what a blockchain was... All I could say was ‘it’s cryptocurrency,’ but I couldn’t explain it.”
Like many others who entered the industry during the 2020 pandemic, Ignacio had to build his understanding from scratch. But instead of asking around, he turned to internal documents, YouTube explainers, and a daily routine that embedded crypto learning into his off-hours.
“I’m very obsessive... Even when I was showering or eating, I was watching content on crypto, blockchain, and market news.”
Three years in operations gave him a solid grasp of the internal processes that keep a regulated exchange running. When he eventually moved into business development, that operational foundation helped sharpen his approach: cautious, research-heavy, and people-first.
How Coins.ph Evaluates Partnerships
At the BD level, Coins.ph receives dozens of partnership proposals from projects across the Web3 space. But not every pitch becomes a partnership. The company has two core filters before anything else: regulatory alignment and user protection.
“Because we’re regulated by the BSP [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas], there are things we simply can’t do... But beyond that, we also look at safety and reputation. We don’t list just for the sake of listing.”
That means avoiding hype-driven tokens or meme coins that may present unnecessary risk to Filipino users. While meme coins are popular, Ignacio notes that many of them carry vulnerabilities that could lead to rug pulls or rapid devaluation.
“There are always ways to tell when a project is likely to rug... So we built that into our due diligence.”
Today, Coins.ph has a full research team dedicated to vetting each proposal. But Ignacio still spends a good part of his day doing his own checks, sometimes up to 30 to 40 minutes of prep per call.
“A good call is when the founder knows exactly what they want to do here in the Philippines, and they’re transparent. A difficult one is when they avoid questions. That’s a red flag.”
Staying Grounded in the Filipino Context
With new trends emerging regularly, from NFTs to AI tokens, Coins.ph doesn’t chase fads. It leans on a clear framework for relevance: will this project resonate with Filipino users, and can it be trusted?
“Crypto adoption in the Philippines is high... but actual understanding is low. A lot of people have wallets, but they don’t really know what they’re using.”
That’s why Coins.ph often participates in offline events and education campaigns with groups like Bitskwela, Sonic, and Sapien. For Ignacio, those events aren’t just about exposure, and they’re about bridging the gap between curiosity and comprehension.
“I like going to these types of events because it helps us reconnect with users. It also helps remind us why we should be cautious with who we work with.”
The Projects That Keep Him Up at Night
When asked what part of the job takes up the most brain space, Ignacio doesn’t hesitate.
“It’s the background research... You have to catch the red flags before the partnership moves too far. And that takes time.”
Despite the long hours, the payoff is clear: building trust in an industry where trust is hard to earn.
As for what’s next, Ignacio is especially excited about Coins.ph’s stablecoin efforts. PHPC, the platform’s Philippine peso-backed stablecoin, is currently in a BSP sandbox and expected to expand in 2024. For a country that ranks fourth globally in remittance volumes, he sees PHPC as a missing puzzle piece.
“Remittances are huge here... If we can make that easier and more efficient through PHPC, it [would be] a game changer.”
At a time when many platforms are racing to list the next trending token, Ignacio and the team at Coins.ph are taking a slower path, one built on trust, compliance, and a deep understanding of the Filipino market.
