The article aims to reveal the nature and degree of Laos' influence on the implementation of multilateral projects and initiatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the digital field. The paper analyzes the association's visionary documents that set the parameters of its approach to global digital processes, outlines the modernization paradigm of Laos as one of the least developed ASEAN countries, reveals the specifics of Laos’ digital initiatives and projects, and assesses their outcomes. Stating that the current level of digital instruments at Laos’ disposal does not allow its fully-fledged participation in ASEAN’s multilateral cooperation, the author argues that the reason goes beyond Laos’ capabilities. It has a broader dimension due to the specifics of the ASEAN integration model. Amidst the digital transformation, with quick decision-making and the binding cooperation among all its participants are pivotal preconditions for both ASEAN competitiveness and its status of an influential international actor, the “ASEAN Way” becomes not only a serious, but an insurmountable obstacle for ASEAN-led multilateral digital projects and initiatives. Simultaneously, the nature and dynamics of Laos' cooperation with China is a mini-perspective of the future parameters of ASEAN's dialogue with China. Since the conceptualization of ASEAN's digital regionalism is still in its infancy, an identification and analysis of factors that shape its evolution accounts for the novelty and practical significance of this study.