How to Tap into the Chinese Web3 Market: Five Core Strategies Southeast Asian Projects Must Master

In recent years, Southeast Asia has emerged as one of the fastest-growing regions for Web3 globally, with countries like Vietnam and Indonesia excelling in user growth, developer activity, and project incubation (Southeast Asia Web3 Market Insights Report). However, as local markets approach saturation, an increasing number of Southeast Asian projects are asking: Where lies the next wave of growth? The answer is becoming increasingly clear—the Chinese market. According to Chainalysis’ 2023 Global Crypto Adoption Index, China remains in the global Top 10 active markets, with strong performance in on-chain interactions, exchange activities, and task platform participation.

At the same time, Chinese crypto communities on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram have amassed millions of real users, forming an environment characterized by concentrated influence, high interaction efficiency, and strong KOL trust. Once penetrated, a project’s brand can achieve exponential exposure and user growth in a short period.

As a result, more Southeast Asian projects—especially in emerging sectors like GameFi, DeFi, and Layer2—are eyeing China as a strategic market, exploring new user growth paths through Chinese KOL collaborations, local community building, and localized content dissemination. However, the Chinese market is far from a simple “copy-paste” of Southeast Asian strategies. It has its own trust logic, language of expression, and content rhythm. To truly break into the Chinese crypto market, you need a localized strategy that understands the market, masters the rhythm, and executes effectively. Below, we outline five steps to provide Southeast Asian projects with a practical guide to entering the Chinese market.

Five Strategies for Southeast Asian Web3 Projects to Enter the Chinese Market

✅ Step 1: Build a Localized Content System

The first step to entering the Chinese market is not translating your website or whitepaper but building a content system tailored to the Chinese context. Chinese users generally do not proactively read English materials; they prefer content delivered through “infographics + case studies + tutorials.” Content must not only be in Chinese but also “speak human language.”

You need to transform complex product mechanisms and participation methods into clear, straightforward, and value-driven Chinese content. For example, “how to participate, how to earn, and is it worth joining” are the primary concerns for most users. Content formats can include: multi-image long posts on X, video tutorials on Bilibili, and Chinese-language explainer graphics on Telegram.

The goal is to ensure users understand who you are in 3 seconds and decide whether to participate in 30 seconds. Only grounded content will prompt users to take the first step. It’s recommended to work with a localized content team or a marketing agency familiar with Chinese expression to rewrite content, rather than relying on simple machine translation.

✅ Step 2: Collaborate with Chinese KOLs

In the Chinese market, user perception heavily depends on “who is speaking” rather than “what you say.” Instead of repeatedly introducing yourself, let Chinese KOLs trusted by your target audience speak for you. KOLs are the key entry point to connect projects with users and the most effective way to establish initial brand awareness.

You can select 10–20 niche Chinese KOLs that align with your product type, such as task-spreading KOLs (suitable for airdrop campaigns), tutorial KOLs (for testnet interactions), strategy analysis KOLs (for DeFi products), or entertainment KOLs (for GameFi/Meme projects). For initial campaigns, test with mid-tier KOLs to observe interaction data and traffic effects. Click to get a free Chinese KOL list!

Through multi-platform KOL collaborations (X, Telegram channels, Bilibili, Xiaohongshu), you can quickly create a “people are talking about this project” perception, rapidly amplifying your brand’s presence. This stage also lays the groundwork for subsequent community building and user retention.

✅ Step 3: Build a Chinese Crypto Community

After establishing awareness, the most critical step is retaining interested users. In the Chinese market, the most common approach is to operate one or more Chinese Telegram groups to capture users directed from KOLs or content.

A community is not just a place to gather users but also a “relationship anchor.” You need to establish community management mechanisms, including welcome guides, FAQ documents, daily task prompts, and community incentive systems. Operators must respond to questions promptly, maintain a regular interaction rhythm, and periodically organize AMAs, giveaways, or polls to keep the community vibrant.

A lively Chinese community becomes the hub for users to trust the project, engage actively, and amplify its spread. In the Chinese market, without a community, you lack a foundation.

✅ Step 4: Develop an Appropriate Content Dissemination Rhythm

Chinese users prefer to be “continuously reminded” rather than “bombarded once.” Therefore, projects should not concentrate promotion solely on launch day but design a clear content dissemination rhythm to ensure users encounter your project multiple times across different scenarios.

The content rhythm can be structured in four phases: “cold start — pre-launch warm-up — official launch — post-launch follow-up.” Each phase has distinct content themes: early stages focus on tasks and tutorials, mid-stages emphasize roadmaps and FOMO, and later stages highlight user feedback, data tracking, and profit showcases.

Through sustained KOL output, community topic extensions, and synchronized distribution across platforms (X + Telegram + video platforms), your project brand will gradually form long-term memory points in users’ minds. This “rhythm” is the most critical and effective brand amplification mechanism in the Chinese market. Schedule an online meeting to customize your content dissemination strategy

✅ Step 5: Partner with a Localized Execution Team

The Chinese market is far more complex than most overseas markets. Language differences, platform mechanics, content moderation, cultural habits, and user rhythms create significant localization demands for overseas projects. One person can’t handle it, and a team may not understand it—partnering with a professional agency is the most efficient approach.

It’s advisable to collaborate with a local team that understands Chinese market communication logic, has real KOL and community resources, and possesses content execution capabilities. From KOL selection, content creation, price negotiation, and execution to data analysis, a one-stop service saves time, effort, and budget.

For example, ChainPeak Pro has provided Chinese market entry support for multiple Southeast Asian projects, helping projects like ZKFair, Pendle, Tabi, and Linea complete the full process from cold start to brand awareness. If you want your project to be “seen, engaged, and remembered” in China, a market-savvy team is your most reliable partner. Get free contact details for a localized team

Conclusion

For Southeast Asian Web3 projects, the Chinese market is both full of potential and challenges. It boasts one of the world’s largest on-chain user bases, highly active community engagement, and a KOL ecosystem with strong content dissemination power, but it also presents unique localization barriers such as cultural differences, language gaps, and platform-specific habits.

Simply mimicking overseas market strategies won’t build brand trust, and single-point user outreach won’t translate into long-term engagement. To truly penetrate the Chinese market, projects must start with “awareness building” and systematically execute a clear, rhythm-driven, and localized approach: content reconstruction → KOL collaboration → community aggregation → rhythmic operations → local execution.

The most critical point is—don’t treat the Chinese market as a one-time traffic opportunity but as a long-term brand-building extension. Chinese users’ brand memory is built through “familiar expressions + sustained interactions + local endorsements.” Once you establish a localized content system and dissemination network, you’ll gain strong user retention and organic virality, serving as a springboard to broader Asian and global markets. If you’ve already established a foundation in Southeast Asia and are looking for the next growth explosion, now is the time to strategize for China. What you need isn’t just a budget for one-off campaigns but a local partner who understands Chinese users, masters dissemination rhythms, and has access to top-tier resources.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the approximate budget for KOL collaborations in the Chinese market? How much is needed to start?

A: Chinese KOL prices vary significantly based on follower count, content format, and platform. Generally, mid-tier KOLs (10,000–50,000 followers) charge 100–300 USDT per X post. For a cold-start campaign with 20–30 KOLs, budget around 3,000–5,000 USDT. For a more systematic approach including community building and content execution, prepare 6,000–8,000 USDT or more.

Q2: Why isn’t X promotion alone sufficient? Are KOL posts enough?

A: X is the first wave of traffic acquisition, but without community retention or content extension, the buzz fades quickly. Users need multiple “touchpoints” to form true brand awareness. Therefore, combine KOL campaigns with Telegram communities, content repurposing, and local platforms like Xiaohongshu/Bilibili for a complete dissemination loop.

Q3: Our team has no Chinese members and doesn’t understand Chinese content expression. How can we proceed?

A: Partner with a localized marketing service like ChainPeak Pro. We offer “one-stop Chinese market services,” including localized content creation, KOL selection and execution, community building and operations, dissemination rhythm design, and data tracking, with full English communication, allowing your team to focus on the product.

Q4: What are the advantages of collaborating with Southeast Asian KOLs through ChainPeak?

A: As an agency, we have bulk negotiation power, offering prices far lower than direct project outreach. Long-term partnerships enjoy customized packages and annual discounts, saving over 30% in costs.

Resources You May Need:

View Influencer List: https://chainpeak.pro/

Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/chainpeak

Global KOL Resource Group: https://t.me/globalcryptokol

Global Moderator Resource Group: https://t.me/web3modglobal