Nicole Yap is the founder of 8SIAN, an NFT project featuring 8,888 detailed digital representations of Asian women on the Ethereum blockchain. She also advises at 8CONSULTANT.^[1]

Education & Early Life

Nicole Yap pursued higher education at RMIT University, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management. She also studied Economics at Taylor's University. Her grandfather emigrated from China to Malaysia in the 1940s, but growing up, Yap was more influenced by Western culture and did not embrace her Chinese heritage. This changed after she became a mother and realized the importance of preserving cultural roots for future generations.^[1][2][3][4]

Introduction to Crypto

Nicole Yap began exploring NFTs, noting their predominantly male participation, and sought opportunities aligned with her identity as an Asian woman. Despite initially aspiring to become a dentist following a childhood accident, her interest in technology was sparked during her teenage years by games like MapleStory, where virtual tokens intrigued her in digital economies.

At 16, Yap encountered Bitcoin through an article, prompting her to invest in the digital currency out of curiosity about its potential as "the future of currency." This early decision, driven by exploration rather than certainty, became formative as Bitcoin's value appreciated significantly. Her involvement not only fostered an interest in the convergence of technology and finance but also financed her first major purchase—a Chanel handbag—further propelling her into the evolving domains of digital assets and blockchain technology.^[4][3]

Career

Nicole Yap founded 8SIAN in 2021, an NFT project featuring 8,888 detailed NFTs of Asian women. The project quickly became a top 10 on Opensea and generated over 3,000 ETH (~USD 9 million) in secondary sales within 24 hours.

Since 2022, Yap has been the Director of Strategic Partnerships at FallingInSand in Canada and a business consultant at 8CONSULTANT in Malaysia.

Yap also owns INSTEA, a creative tea and coffee bar franchise, since 2019. With 13 outlets in Malaysia and Australia, INSTEA aims to innovate tea culture. She manages over 13 employees, oversees marketing and strategy, and conducts market research.

Earlier, for 4 years, Yap was a luxury item reseller in Melbourne, specializing in brands like Supreme, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton, achieving up to 500% markups and gaining expertise as a handbag authenticator.^[1]

8sian

Founded in 2021 by Nicole Yap, 8SIAN addresses the lack of representation for Asian women in the NFT sector. Collaborating with MrHike, an experienced artist, Yap conceptualized an initial collection featuring an Asian woman in traditional attire, aiming to empower Asian cultures through digital art.

Yap's vision for 8SIAN aims to foster inclusivity for Asian women in technology and promote cultural pride within the Web3 community. The project gained early recognition, selling out its debut collection and attracting support from influential figures like Steve Aoki and Matt Higgins from Shark Tank.

At its core, 8SIAN advocates for authentic Asian representation in Web3, with Yap actively leading conceptual development, community engagement, and educational initiatives surrounding NFTs.^[1][3][4][5]

Advocacy

Nicole Yap faced significant challenges while balancing motherhood and managing a bubble tea business alongside her ventures in the NFT space. Despite running a conventional company with employees, she encountered skepticism from her family regarding her focus on digital art. Yap also experienced rejection from influential figures in the crypto community who doubted the potential success of her project.

A critical Twitter user with influence in the Asian American community publicly criticized Yap's project as "cringey," sparking online harassment and personal attacks. Despite facing misogyny and harassment at crypto gatherings, including a distressing incident at a blockchain event in Singapore, Yap remains committed to promoting Asian heritage through 8SIAN.

She continues to advocate for greater diversity and inclusion in the crypto industry, emphasizing the need for a supportive community for Asian women in technology and finance.^[3][4][5]