Vietnam sets out blockchain strategy with goal of regional leadership by 2030

North Gyeongsang Province launches metaverse platform to become digital hubNorth Gyeongsang Province has officially launched its integrated metaverse platform Metaport, which aims to expand access to the metaverse — a key component of the digital economy — for the region’s citizens. It also serves to showcase the region’s cutting-edge technologies and establish it as a hub for emerging industries.Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash“We will focus on a strategy to solidify our position not only as a metaverse capital but also as a global digital hub,” said the province’s Governor Lee Cheol-woo.Offering a hybrid metaverse experienceTouted as the nation’s first scalable hybrid metaverse platform, Metaport utilizes Web3 technology to provide both web and app services. In particular, it leverages open APIs to integrate features such as login and avatars into one service, which allows users to enjoy metaverse content provided by local governments, public institutions, businesses, schools and more.Bridge to the futureThe platform also connects reality and the virtual realm with a virtual model of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport as the main space within the realm. The Daegu-Gyeongbuk Integrated New Airport is a joint military-civilian airport that is set to be built by 2030 in the Uiseong and Gunwi counties.Users can access MetaPort through a website without downloading a separate program. The mobile app is also available for Android smartphones on the Google Play Store.

Wemade joins hands with DIFC to establish WEMIX Play Center in DubaiSouth Korean blockchain gaming publisher Wemade has become the first gaming company in the country to form a partnership with the Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) Innovation Hub, according to an official press release on Wednesday (local time). Through this new partnership, Wemade plans to establish a WEMIX Play Center at the DIFC Innovation Hub as a space for gaming companies that are part of the WEMIX ecosystem.Photo by Wael Hneini on UnsplashUnlocking opportunitiesThe DIFC is a financial free zone in Dubai equipped with its own administrative, judicial and regulatory bodies. The Innovation Hub — a financial innovation ecosystem — was established by the Dubai government to attract global companies in fintech, Web3, gaming and artificial intelligence (AI). Members and partners are eligible to receive various benefits, like a DIFC Innovation Licence — which helps technology firms set up their businesses — global networking opportunities and office spaces.Along with the establishment of the WEMIX Play Center, Wemade aims to make appropriate investments for the success of its onboarded companies and work with the DIFC to create a $100 million global Web3 gaming fund. The company said that it would hold joint Web3 events with the Innovation Hub in the future to promote these initiatives.Fostering financial evolutionDubai has been actively promoting financial services to stimulate economic growth and attract investments, encouraging the creation and growth of blockchain businesses and the widespread use of cryptocurrencies. By settling down at the DIFC Innovation Hub, Wemade intends to closely communicate with UAE’s crypto regulatory authorities and formulate an optimal business strategy in line with the latest industry trends in the Middle Eastern region.Meanwhile, the company is in the process of applying for the registration of its governance token WEMIX as a recognized crypto token with the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). Cryptocurrencies on this DFSA list are authorized for use in transactions among the 4,900 institutions and individual investors residing in DIFC. Currently, there are five recognized crypto tokens including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple and Toncoin. The latter two were recently added to the list last month.

Aptos charts success in South Korea through bridging Web2 and Web3Aptos, a major layer 1 blockchain network developed by the experts behind Meta’s canceled stablecoin payment system Diem, is growing in South Korea. In a recent Aptos Day conference held at the Hashed Lounge in Seoul, the Aptos team shared its vision for developing its ecosystem in Korea and attracting users by actively bringing content from Web2 to Web3, instead of simply focusing on cultivating a Web3-only ecosystem.Photo by GuerrillaBuzz on UnsplashDavid Wolinsky, a software engineer at Aptos and a former developer at Facebook, presented Aptos’ key advantages and achievements since its launch last year and outlined the blockchain’s future plans for growth.High-speed Web3 powerhouseIn particular, he highlighted Aptos’ high compatibility with social media, its solid security framework built with the Move programming language and a rapid processing speed of up to 200,000 transactions per second (TPS) — with a time to finality (TTF) of less than one second. Thanks to this impressive speed, Wolinsky explained, lots of projects have onboarded the network, which is anticipated to grow into a bigger ecosystem with more decentralized applications (dApps).Aptos has also carried out over 300 million transactions since its launch in October of last year, creating seven million unique addresses. Just two months following its launch, there were already over 200 projects on the blockchain. Aptos could thus play a significant role in revolutionizing Web3, which is currently dominated by the Ethereum virtual machine (EVM).Facilitating the transition from Web2 to Web3To grow the ecosystem further, Wolinsky emphasized the importance of bringing Web2 users to Web3 in an efficient and seamless manner. Aptos aims to achieve this by facilitating the creation of Aptos-based wallets through integration with platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Google, allowing users to enjoy various dApps.Wolinsky also noted that Aptos uses Move — an open-source programming language developed by Facebook for writing smart contracts on the Diem blockchain — which is designed to be developer-friendly, employing similar mechanisms that developers generally use to build applications on Web2. This language can attract not only Web2 users but also Web2 developers who are transitioning to Web3 without worrying about the complexity of the process. Aptos argues that Move is more secure than EVM’s Solidity language.Positive prospects in KoreaAptos also regards Korea as a key market for growth, as Korean developers are actively contributing to the Aptos ecosystem and providing helpful feedback. The blockchain disclosed that as of Q3 this year, Korea has 13 Aptos validators — second only after the U.S., which has 14.Christie Lee, Head of Business Development and Partnerships in Korea at Aptos, argued that Korea is innovating the most at the larger corporate level while also contributing to the ecosystem. Lots of endeavors are playing out in the Korean market, she said, as regulatory restrictions in fields like gaming, entertainment, finance and more are starting to loosen.She also added that the Korean market is not only driven by innovation from large companies but also by small developers who can contribute to the ecosystem, noting that the market is a favorable environment for developers to thrive. In addition, Korean users are sensitive to trends and adept at incorporating technology, which would allow them to quickly adopt Web3 culture.