Philippines leading charge in Asia amid global bitcoin payment surge

Korean Pharma and Running App Employ NFTs to Promote Fatigue ReliefDaewoong Pharmaceutical recently announced its collaboration with D-Run, an NFT-based running app, to employ non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in marketing a fatigue relief product to millennials and Generation Z.©Pexels/Anna ShvetsUnique NFT IllustrationsFor the project, two unique NFT illustrations have been designed, showcasing a brown bear and a red heart with arms and legs. The bear, named Uri, represents Daewoong’s fatigue relief product UR-Shot, and the heart serves as D-Run’s mascot DZ. In one NFT edition, Uri and DZ are depicted running across a bridge, while the other shows them lying down on a grassy lawn under a tree.Each edition will have 100 NFTs available for purchase on Klip Drops, an NFT marketplace operated by Kakao’s blockchain subsidiary Ground X, from April 26 to May 9. NFT buyers will receive 20 tablets of UR-Shot and D-Run merchandise.Millennial and Gen Z runnersDaewoong’s partnership with D-Run, a platform operated by online media outlet dongA.com, a subsidiary of the nation’s leading newspaper Donga Ilbo, aims to connect with the digital-savvy millennial and Gen Z runners. This collaboration promotes UR-Shot as a healthy energy booster. In November last year, Daewoong introduced NFTs featuring Uri to attract millennials and Gen Z consumers.NFTs as marketing strategyNFTs are tokens that utilize blockchain technology to prove ownership of virtual assets. Due to their scarcity and irreplaceability, NFTs have recently become increasingly influential in the digital art sphere such as paintings and videos. In particular, young consumers often use NFTs as a tool to have fun and express themselves.Park Eun-kyung, the head of the consumer healthcare marketing team at Daewoong, said that this NFT collaboration to reach out to young consumers is the first marketing initiative of its kind in the pharmaceutical industry. Daewoong will continue to keep an eye on the consumption culture of younger generations and conduct various digital marketing programs to alleviate customers’ daily fatigue, she added

LINE NEXT, the U.S.-based Web3 subsidiary of LY Corporation, has launched its global stablecoin wallet, Unifi. The service is now publicly available through the LINE messaging app.Photo by Shubham Dhage on UnsplashThe platform consolidates core stablecoin operations—including deposits, storage, payments, and transfers—into a single interface. Users can onboard using existing social logins from LINE, Google, Naver, or Apple. At launch, Unifi only supports USDT, with plans to integrate additional stablecoins in the future. The service currently offers an annual percentage yield of 4% to 5% on deposited assets.  Non-custodial wallet integrates stablecoins into LINEDesigned as a non-custodial wallet, Unifi enables users to retain control over their private keys and manage their own assets. The platform also supports direct fiat conversions. Through a partnership with fintech firm SentBe, Unifi utilizes an off-ramp solution from Triple-A, a Singapore-licensed Digital Payment Token provider, enabling users to convert and withdraw stablecoins directly to personal bank accounts. To expand the wallet's utility, LINE NEXT has integrated its existing Dapp Portal and Mini Dapps into the Unifi ecosystem. This allows users to spend stablecoins across various gaming, social, and content applications, as well as earn rewards through in-app activities. The rollout follows a January memorandum of understanding (MOU) between LINE NEXT and JPYC Inc., the issuer of the yen-pegged stablecoin JPYC, to explore broader stablecoin integration and regional use cases. PayPay seeks U.S. IPO after Binance betLY Corporation is expanding its presence in financial services through another subsidiary, PayPay, which has been moving into the crypto sector. According to a report cited by CoinDesk, PayPay is preparing for a listing on the Nasdaq and is seeking a valuation of more than $10 billion. The company plans to price its shares between $17 and $20 and issue 55 million shares, potentially raising up to $1.1 billion. The proposed ticker symbol is PAYP. In October last year, PayPay acquired a 40% stake in Binance Japan, expanding its presence in the digital asset market. The initial public offering had been scheduled for March 9 but was postponed amid market volatility linked to developments in Iran. Separately, Japanese-listed firm Metaplanet, which has been accumulating Bitcoin, has not purchased additional BTC for eight weeks, according to an X post by SoSoValue. According to its fiscal 2025 earnings report, the Japanese company posted a net loss of 95 billion yen ($605 million) for the year, while generating revenue of 8.9 billion yen ($58 million). The firm currently holds 35,102 BTC at an average purchase price of $107,716 per coin. With Bitcoin trading slightly below $70,000, the holdings imply an unrealized loss of about $1.32 billion, or roughly 35% below the average acquisition cost. 

Survey Reveals Over Half of Korean Financial Firms Eyeing Both Issuance and Distribution of Security TokensIn a recent survey conducted by fintech solution provider Koscom, it was found that more than half of South Korean financial companies interested in security token businesses are planning to undertake both the issuance and distribution of security tokens. This result reflects the belief of the financial firms that if they engage only in the secondary market, they will experience reduced profitability due to the necessity of lowering transaction fees amidst fierce competition, as per local business newspaper Hankyung.Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash62% of financial firmsAt a seminar held today, Koscom revealed the result of this survey it conducted among a total of 95 entities interested in security tokens, consisting of 30 securities firms, three banks, one asset management company, and 61 token issuers. Among the financial firms that belong to the first three categories, 62% answered that they will conduct both the issuance and distribution of security tokens. 31% expressed a preference for conducting only issuance, while 7% were inclined towards distribution alone.The survey also highlighted that 38% of financial companies hold a positive outlook on the security token market, although they acknowledge insufficient understanding. Additionally, 34% of respondents anticipate that the security token market will rival the exchange-traded fund (ETF) market in terms of size, while only 10% believe it will eventually replace the initial public offering (IPO) market.Cultural contentWhen it comes to the underlying real-world assets (RWAs) for security tokens, cultural content emerged as the most preferred option, with 71% of respondents selecting it. Real estate followed closely at 66%, with energy (55%), artworks (41%), and agriculture and fisheries (21%) also garnering interest. Respondents were allowed to choose multiple options for this section.Similarly, cultural content remained the top choice among token issuers, favored by 21% of respondents. It was followed by real estate (16%), artworks (14%), intellectual property (14%), and agriculture and fisheries (9%).A Koscom official attributed the preference for cultural content and real estate as underlying assets to their accessibility and profitability.This seminar, organized by Koscom, aimed to create a supportive environment for issuers and distributors struggling to promote security token businesses. Hong Woo-sun, CEO of Koscom, said the company will leverage its expertise in the capital market and blockchain technology to collaborate with authorities and relevant organizations in lowering barriers to entry for market participants who need technical infrastructure.